Now that MiX Telematics has officially released our latest mobile application, MiX Fleet Mobile, we chatted to a developer to dig a little bit deeper into the interesting facets of how this product came to be and what makes it so special.

Chris van Wyk, takes the time to share his thoughts on the development of MiX Fleet Mobile App…

“First of all, I’d like to give a big shout out to the FM-Web team, who completed the project as I had been moved off to another product during the later stages of the development on the project.

The MiX Fleet Mobile App is the mobile offering product based on features from the flagship product  FM-Web, our premiere web-based service for commercial fleet operators that services fleets world-wide.

With this in mind it does not take a lot of imagination to realize that this codebase has reached a substantial level of maturity and as a result has collected its fare share of legacy code.

What you must keep in mind with legacy code though is however best your intentions are, there are always areas within the system, which may be adversely affected by code changes and or additions. Thus, the development team had to approach all changes with precision and support a great deal of testing.

In addition to this, trying to introduce new approaches in development and architecture comes at a cost not everyone is comfortable with and or potentially willing to sink effort into. The approach we wanted to take going forward in terms of supporting the mobile applications on FM-Web was to introduce the mobile API as RESTFul services.

The challenge we faced was which framework to use while taking into consideration that the application stack is Microsoft based and predominantly using C#. Together with this, all existing web services were soap base and implements security and logging features specific to the solution. So if we were to introduce new services, these services would need to fit into the existing constraints of at least the security and logging features.

Having worked on a proof of concept project, introducing Ruby into the organization, the search was on to find a framework that would give us the same or similar benefits of Sinatra and Rack.

Enter NancyFX. The best way to describe NancyFX must be the following description taken from the projects website: “Nancy is a lightweight, low-ceremony, framework for building HTTP based services on .Net and Mono. The goal of the framework is to stay out of the way as much as possible and provide a super-duper-happy-path to all interactions.”

The selling point for me was the amazing balance the guys on the project achieved between the static typed and dynamic object world that exists in both the Microsoft.NET Framework 4 and the latest releases of Mono. Coupled with the implementation of pipelining and pre or post-request hooks snapping the NancyFX framework on top of the FM-Web business logic was as they say, taking “super-duper-happy-path”.

There are a number of things, which I am really excited about in terms of the final outcome of this project. The first is that there are open source projects in existence like NancyFx, which proves that the “we-did-not-build-it”, or it is not from Microsoft, mindset of the average .Net developer to be not entirely accurate. The second is that it is possible to devise simple and elegant solutions hooking into and extending systems sometimes thought of as “legacy” without rebuilding or reinventing the wheel, i.e. reusing security and logging features.

Lastly, and I would venture to say the most important in my opinion, that now having been able to introduce a RESTFul architecture into the FM-Web world and modularly exposing data as required, the possibilities for future feature rich mobile and web development is limitless and we look forward to pushing the boundaries to achieve the best development solutions possible.”
For the full press release visit http://www.mixtelematics.com/news/MiXMobileFleet.

Chris Van Wyk is a Developer at MiX Telematics in Stellenbosch, South Africa. He is currently focused on mobile development (iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7), Hypermedia driven RESTful APIs, Micro Web Frameworks and having fun with code.

Your Green Guide to Travel

If you are planning a holiday road trip for the festive season in 2011, but want to keep your carbon footprint to a minimum, we’ve got some quick and easy tips for you to keep your travel as eco-friendly and carbon-neutral as possible.

1. Get ready before you leave – When you realise you have to return home for something, the car is then turned around and your carbon output is doubled for that distance. Eliminate this through careful planning and you will save the environment while saving yourself some very precious holiday time.
2. When possible, drive with the windows up and the air conditioner off – Some engineers have studied the benefits of both and found that at low speeds one should try to drive with the windows down, however, at highway speeds it is more economic to have the air conditioner on.
3. Streamline your vehicle – You will greatly reduce your fuel consumption by removing things that are not in use such as roof racks and keeping the load weight to a minimum.
4. Charge your electronics at home – Using car chargers are convenient but do increase your fuel consumption, the most efficient way to charge your electronics is with a proper plug at home, even better with a solar charger!
5. Use Public Transport – Or better yet, walk or ride a bike wherever possible. Hiring a car is a nice convenience but if you are in a big city you can more than likely manage with buses, trains, and even your own two feet for a green and fit option!
6. Before you leave, unplug it all – Check all plug-points in your home and be sure they are all off, especially your hot water geyser. This will save you a huge amount of money and help you be extremely green!
7. Offset your carbon emissions – Some airlines have options for you to offset the carbon emissions of your flight through them, but you can always search for other organisations that will offset your holiday footprint with some great environmental and community upliftment projects.
8. Book a Greener Seat on a Flight – Did you know that you can reduce your flight’s carbon footprint by up to 5 times by flying economy instead of first class? (Guardian, UK)
9. Get a room! A Green one! – There are many green hotels that one can stay at when travelling. Make these establishments your first choice, and no matter where you stay, tell the hotel staff to keep your towels and linens in your room so that you can re-use them during the duration of your stay to reduce water consumption.
10. Head for Greener Pastures – There are a great deal of beautiful and exciting destinations all over that the planet has to offer. Let Mother Nature be your host this year, it’s good for your health and by visiting parks and outdoor destinations, you can make a contribution to help sustain the natural wonders we have.

From MiX Telematics, Happy Holidays and travel safely!

Brendan Buzer is a Product Manager at MiX Telematics International, based in South Africa. He is passionate about the outdoors and the environment and hopes to convey his enthusiasm for this subject on to others. Follow him on Twitter at @brendanbuzer.

Shawn Graaff is the Online Content & Social Media Manager for MiX Telematics International. Based in South Africa, Shawn is an American dreaming in digital with a special interest in Mobile for Africa and sustainable living. Follow her tweets about Social Media Marketing, SEO, Content Strategy, and Online Community Management @ShawnGraaff.

Catering for Green Fleets and Carbon Offsetting, MiX Telematics has a vested interest in the upcoming COP17 – here’s why and what it’s all about…

Brendan Buzer is a Product Manager at MiX Telematics International, based in South Africa. He is passionate about the outdoors and the environment and hopes to convey his enthusiasm for this subject on to others. Follow him on Twitter at @brendanbuzer.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do”.  - Steve Jobs, Stanford commencement speech, June 2005.

Branding is one of those areas in business that remains inspiring - purely because its definition, thankfully, does not preside in a box, yet we know that somehow we are all part of the realisation of this evolving concept.

What’s in a Brand?

A brand has been described as a set of promises in the mind of the consumer; it’s also been defined as an organisation’s reputation, or personality. Blackcoffee, brand management and design consultancy, describes a brand as “an experience living at the intersection of promise and expectation.” Here are some tips on getting started in your efforts to ‘Back Your Brand’…

• A useful way of understanding the importance of branding is to view it as the golden thread that runs seamlessly across all aspects of your business: from the way we run our daily activities and the way we build our relationships with suppliers and partners, to the experience end-users have of our products and services. Be mindful of the benefits you promote and whether or not they match and live up to your customers’ expectations. Another powerful tool is to be aware of how different departments and employees contribute to the building of a powerful brand.

• I know what you’re thinking… ‘Easier said than done.’ This is true. When it comes to the real thing, there are many obstacles that threaten the building of a strong brand. Strong internal communication, buy-in from senior management, sufficient resources and some type of measurement strategy are key ingredients to keep in mind when deciding to embark on a more formal brand strategy.

• When it comes to branding, a good starting point (ironically) is the end result. Re-look at the value that you’re delivering to your customers. Be aware of perceived value versus real value and stay alert to the fact that the needs of end-users change constantly, and so will their idea of the value they’re receiving. Nowadays, customers are far more discerning than ever…

• Find ways to talk and listen to ALL your stakeholders, while planning an effective follow-through. By follow-through, I mean the conversion of this valuable information into actionable goals. Everyone on-board has something to offer – some kind of direct or indirect link to the customer. Use innovative internal communication to get everyone involved and motivated in improving and realising new and revised brand objectives.

Embarking on a brand assessment initiative is almost always an exciting step in the right direction. Back your brand and benefit from the many hidden opportunities that lie just beneath the surface!

Leanne Jory is the Communications Manager for MiX Telematics International. Her passion for branding is supported by international experience in the fields of internal and external communication. Industries in which Leanne has gained experience include technology, logistics, advertising and real estate. Follow Leanne on Twitter @LeanneJory

On 20 July 2011 Morne du Toit and his family celebrated a moment to cherish as his doctor informed him that after 4 months of chemotherapy there were no traces of Hodgkin’s lymphoma remaining in his system.

To celebrate with his MiX family Morne carved his way through an enormous cake. The sugar rush was almost as exhilarating as hearing the good news and we are all ecstatic for Morne who has been a real role model throughout his recovery period. Never has he uttered a complaint nor become despondent, keeping his focus on what mattered most – making sure he came through well for his, and his families sake.

Our message to Morne is this: Life is like the hair on top of your head; sometimes short, sometimes long. Glad we can say in your case there is no correlation to your own hair. ☺

Congratulations and keep fighting.

For a few short but magical hours the Upper Eastside Hotel in Woodstock was the center of the wine universe as the 2011 Nederburg Auction Public Tastings dazzled wine lovers with 19 exclusive and fine wines to taste.

Showing their appreciation for fine wines, Cedric, Sabine, Gavin and Christina at the Nederburg Auction Public Tastings.

With MiX Stellenbosch offices situated in the heart of the Winelands it is no surprise that MiX was well represented at this memorable occasion. Gavin Harvett, Christina Harvett, Sabine Klisch and Cedric Jones were there to enjoy an evening of indulgence with some of the best wines the local wine industry has to offer.

Guests made their way through the tasting schedule in style as they were treated to wines representing various varietals, vineyards and cultivars. The tasting was led by Cape Wine Master Bennie Howard and guests got the opportunity to taste, amongst others, a 2004 Syrah from Marcel de Reuck, an elegant 2005 Merlot from De Grendel, Le Bonheur’s acclaimed Prima 2001, and a 2005 Nederburg Private Bin Eminence, the beautiful dessert wine produced by 2011’s Platter’s SA Wine Guide Winery of the Year.

In true fashion MiX’ers set high standards in all areas and of course our very own wine experts we asked some questions.

See Gavin and Cedric being interviewed below.

MiX Telematics is proud to launch our new Calendar Competition for 2012. The competition, which we run each year, is open to all employees and MiX Telematics dealers and appeals to our network’s budding photographers!

Each participant can submit up to 20 high quality photos and the winning entries are then published in the MiX Telematics Calendar for the year to come.

To make it more engaging, we select a theme that allows for the perfect combination between artistic freedom and impressive entries. The theme for this year’s competition is simply, COLOUR! It is no mystery that we are all affected by colour. In China, red is the colour of happiness, white the colour of autumn. Yellow is associated with happiness and fun, while brown offers a warm reminder of the earth beneath our feet. Our world speaks to us in colour and we speak back through a spectrum of interpretations and applications.

We’re excited to co-create a World of Colour with our employees and dealers and plan on announcing the winners sometime in September. The closing date is 31 August 2011.

• For employees and dealers who wish to participate and upload an image/s, please register on www.mixcalendar.com
• Note: photo entries can be publicly viewed on the Calendar website irrespective of whether you register or not.
• Join in the fun by clicking the famous ‘Like’ button to show your support for your favourite entries!

Being passionate about testing and quality in the development process, I spend a lot of time with our QA Manager and have learned so much in the last 6 months.  In any agile world, continuous introspection and improvement is a key aspect that ensures quality is maintained as we learn where we went wrong and how to do better.

I would encourage all teams to check the progress on this at the end of every sprint and make sure there are improvements.

Compromise testing leads to compromising your company.  Don’t allow it, no matter how uncomfortable the learning process is.

This originally appeared on Charlene’s blog: Scrumnut

I love story maps. I love that they are big and visible. That at one glance you can see what is going to be delivered in the next release. That everyone can see what is coming up next.

It worked really well in the beginning. It assisted our product owner in thinking about what he really wanted and thus empowering him to prioritise and communicate the reasoning behind that easily. Its up on the wall in the team room and everyone can see it easily.

There were some drawbacks though.  As its up on the wall – its hard to move to a meeting room for grooming sessions. That also means the product owner cant use it when hes communicating to customers/stakeholders. Another problem – as the stories get groomed they split up into smaller stories and your story map grows exponentially – and the wall couldn’t be extended… The product owner and myself were the ones updating the board … and I would prefer the team more involved in this. I believe a team that owns a story map with the product owner is the ideal to strive for.

We tried the online story map which was awesome, but as expected keeping the online map and the real wall map in sync quickly became problematic. (Especially as printing out and killing forests is something I’m loathe to do). Here is another online story map tool, that I stumbled upon toolsforagile – also very nice!

A few weeks ago I read this blog post by Roman Pichler and decided to try some out-the-box thinking with regards to our release planning.

To make it clear how many sprints we have until the release, and to show all team members holidays etc we put up monthly calendars down the side – laminated for easy changes – with all public holidays and leave etc on it.

Our release board is next to our sprint board in the team room. Big and visible, but with the ability to easily move to a meeting room.

Its very early days (week 1) so I’m sure that we will inspect and adapt as time goes on.

What do you think of our Release Backlog?

Editor’s note: This originally appeared in Sam’s blog: Inevitable