sending text through email as an option

[vhelp]

Hi, well, for lack of better subject title.

I have been working on developing an application for both Windows and Android devices. The app is ready in terms of what it does, a search tool, to search for catalog numbers. Part of the function is to send the final report (or data) to a destination so that it can be read/reviewed, printed, and/or forwarded to yet another destination.

My problem seems tricky at the moment. I am still wet behind the ears in terms of email and cloud and sending data via wifi to a destination. Anyway.

I need to add the feature to [send] via email this report. Now, earlier in the development, I wrote here for some help on the email test app. That went fine, and i have a grasp of how to send email through the push of a button, [send]. However, at this junction in the apps development, I don't want to use my personal tools, you know, my own email and internet credentials, otherwise I would have to give everyone my user_id and password, etc. to send email through the app. I need something with security and non-personal. Maybe a single source.

One idea I have in mind, is to purchase an email account. I know at least one provider who charges $15/mo for an email account. I can probably purchase that this week. Maybe tomorrow. But up to there, I'm stummped as to how I would set the apps up with this info, and then set it to everyone else's as I copy or install the app on their computer. As for Android, I have to physically connect the device to my computer in order install it onto their android device. I'm foggy at the moment with how to go about this email process.

Here are some notes that come to mind:

1. If I purchase the email account, (I will need a "fitting" name for the account to associate it with the app/project)
2. Do I have to also purchase a group account for each person that I want to add to the list to know the email account and to add to "their" device ?
3. Does each person get a personal username and password ? and how would I set that up ? and keep tract of it ?
4. more ideas / suggestions

Thank you.

[Nelson37]

There are several ways to go here.

You could set up a free e-mail account with any one of a number of free services. App_Orders@gmail.com. Use the same info for all users. A user ID or some other means of identifying the user would be required. You could also set up a new account for every single user. Pre-set all the other info and just change user name and password. AppUser1234, etc . Could even leave the password the same.

OR - you could require the user to enter in their own info, much like most other programs do. This would require some changes to get a standardized entry format. Look at the user info for Outlook, look at yours, and make changes to make the same type of entries work.

OR - you could figure out a way to auto-import the required info from each supported phone type.

The amount of work required would depend on the total number of users. You seem to intend to personally install each and every one, leading me to assume a small number of users. I would hard-code a single sending account, same for everyone, and a unique user Id code, into each one. Simple, easy, idiot-proof. Stamp the user ID into each sent mail message.

You would need a bit of logic at the receiving end to look-up user address data from the ID code, but you would need to do the same thing for an e-mail address, as well.

Setting up the accounts yourself gives you control of changing forwarding options and other things at the head end.

$15 / month is obscenely high. Absurd and ridiculous. Free is better, major providers like godaddy give multiple addresses for about a third of that, or less.

EDIT - going on memory here, but IIRC adding 5 users to an existing godaddy e-mail account was less than $10, per YEAR. The yearly fee for 10 users was about $50.00, though this varies by account type. $15/month for a single user is highway robbery. If you have company e-mail already, you most likely have a single address already available, as they are usually purchased in blocks of five.

"Wifi" is just internet. The user has a box that can connect to the Internet. Your app uses Internet to send e-mail. Any internet, any e-mail will work.

[vhelp]

1. The tool is designed for full tablets, not iphones or android phones. Due to the space limitations, only android tablets (and windows) will be supported.

2. The project is expected to go commercial. So user configurations need to be as minimal and inflexible as possible to rule out hacking accounts and extending time limits, etc.

The amount of work required would depend on the total number of users. You seem to intend to personally install each and every one, leading me to assume a small number of users. I would hard-code a single sending account, same for everyone, and a unique user Id code, into each one. Simple, easy, idiot-proof. Stamp the user ID into each sent mail message.

3. for now, during beta testing, it is only three people, (me, on windows and android tablets, I am the sole developer and admin), my boss (android tablet), and my bosses partner the sales guy who will be selling it as part of a package (windows tablet, surface pro). Although for now, we will be beta testing it for our facility. But it is also probable that the sale guy could be loading this on other windows pc and tablets, all without my knowledge. The sales guy is my boss's friend and I don't want to insult anyone at this time. So i'm trying to be as low-key about my feelings or suspicions at this time.

However, as I was just saying, I don't know the sales guy, and don't trust him, as he lives in another state, and he has high-tech people who know the IT and Cloud systems and how they work, etc. And I don't want to make this tool easy by incorporating user configuration screens. I might be able to get away with it for android tablets, but on windows, its much easier to commit fraud (hacking) through software (ie, extending time limits and creating new dummy accounts to use on more than one windows pc or windows tablet). So I am trying to be as safe as possible w/out giving away my suspicion thus causing confrontations, etc. I need to figure out how to incorporate as safe a tool as possible or not make it that obvious and easy to commit fraud. In other words, if I make a custom email configuration, then any joe-schmoe can add their own name using their own email and then do this on every windows pc/tablet since at the moment, the app does not have any form of password protection to limit single licensed use, yet. I don't know anything about that and need to learn that fast before I update the app with email capability since the apps main function is ready and only thing holding back is the method to publish or send the info to a destination. If I create a single account and have the admin rights to give to each device, windows or android tablet, then I can lock out the feature and consequentially the app/tool becomes useless.

$15 / month is obscenely high. Absurd and ridiculous. Free is better, major providers like godaddy give multiple addresses for about a third of that, or less.

4. I will reconsider this option. Thanks for the tip.

5. Windows pc / tablet platforms will need a custom installation program to install the app. And I don't know how to go about that yet. Up to now, I've been sending the sales guy the BETA app at each update so he can test it and also show to his client(s) for potential buyers of his package, as prototypes. If he aligns with some buyers, my boss will go partners with him. He believe that this project is the potential to go multi-million also with the potential to go national with it. The sales guy is a software seller. He travels to many states. So, yes.. of course i'm worried about how it will all turn out.

Having control over every aspect of the tool is my primary priority. And the key to it all my ly in the right installation package. Finding it is also primary. I'm just not sure where find this info. Maybe goolge it.

Thanks for the points and suggestions, much appreciated.

[TreeTops]

Will you go through the google play store to market this app? I ask because my Samsung 12 inch tablet does not accept apps from 'untrusted' sites. (unless I alter some settings which I don't normally do) For android devices, I suggest that you look into the Google store instructions for app developers.

[vhelp]

yes, it will eventually make it into the google app store, and Apple's (iOS) as well. Since the app is being developed under the Firemonkey framework, it can run on all devices, windows; android; and apple; with one single souce code, not separate unique codes.

I have not tested on an Apple device, yet (though I do have a new ipad mini 1 unopened) because its a bit more complicated due to Apple's stricker rules and yearly licensing fee (but I also heard that may change to no-fee license--so more developers may sign on, such as myself) but I recently read somewhere, that, like the Android, I can directly connect to the device and install the app. But it will need to go through the store as well, once its ready. My boss is an Apple guy and he's been after me to do an Apple version for his ipad. Just today he asked me about doing it. I said, not yet. Anyway.

[Nelson37]

I am unclear on the goal here.

I thought this was either a sales tool, or an in-house requisition tool.

If it's a sales tool, the more hands it is in, the more sales, so give it away to all who want one. If in-house, then not useful to anyone else. For a sales tool, you want to receive a percentage of all app-generated sales. For a requisition tool, you want to be paid a flat fee, and/or a promotion.

I do not see a commercial avenue for sales revenue of the app itself. Too easy to duplicate. I understand a full description might not be advisable, but I'm not seeing anything revolutionary that could not be customized for another company or flat-out copied for other uses. Protecting software from hacking is just not generally feasible, unless you control access in some way from the head end. With a sales app, they pay money, you take it for product, who cares if they paid for the app?

Call go-daddy and get a quote for 500 or 5,00 or 50,000 e-mail addresses, I have found them to be remarkably easy to deal with and very cost-effective. Techs are on the phone within 3-5 minutes and are well trained. You could pre-load the app with a defined e-mail coded to each user, problem with the user, delete their e-mail account.

[vhelp]

I thought this was either a sales tool, or an in-house requisition tool.

It was an in-house tool initially, when I began the project some months ago, and then recently got the news that it will be used in other facilities in other states. Our facility would be test site. And if it becomes highly popular, it will become commercial. The sales guy is a friend of the boss and are talking behind the seams their ideas. That's all I know of that.

If it's a sales tool, the more hands it is in, the more sales, so give it away to all who want one. If in-house, then not useful to anyone else. For a sales tool, you want to receive a percentage of all app-generated sales. For a requisition tool, you want to be paid a flat fee, and/or a promotion.

true, and true.

Call go-daddy and get a quote for 500 or 5,00 or 50,000 e-mail addresses, I have found them to be remarkably easy to deal with and very cost-effective. Techs are on the phone within 3-5 minutes and are well trained. You could pre-load the app with a defined e-mail coded to each user, problem with the user, delete their e-mail account.

I will look them up, thanks.

[vhelp]

I do not see a commercial avenue for sales revenue of the app itself. Too easy to duplicate. I understand a full description might not be advisable, but I'm not seeing anything revolutionary that could not be customized for another company or flat-out copied for other uses. Protecting software from hacking is just not generally feasible, unless you control access in some way from the head end. With a sales app, they pay money, you take it for product, who cares if they paid for the app?

While the general purpose (searching) is not new, in general, from an facility point of view, and their business methods, no other facility (nation-wide) has thought of it nor are doing anything like it. At this time, no one is doing this. Unfortunately, I can't go into the specific details of the tools, other than to say that it is a search tool.