Techneos® Serves Up SODA? Mobile Phone Survey Platform

New York, USA / Vancouver, Canada (PRWEB) June 27, 2008 -- Techneos Systems Inc. today introduced the beta version of its Survey On-Demand Application (SODA?) platform for mobile phone surveys. The new technology was unveiled to industry leaders at the 13th Annual Technology Conference of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) in New York.

The SODA platform combines the power of a high-end survey tool with broad coverage across virtually any mobile phone -- including both Smartphones and feature phones. SODA software is built on the wireless Internet infrastructure, but unlike web and SMS surveys is able to operate off-line, ensuring availability at any field location. By eliminating network lag during data collection, the SODA platform also increases productivity and improves the user experience compared to web and SMS surveys.

"We are working to enable almost any survey to run on every mobile phone," says Mark Cameron, President and CEO of Techneos Systems. "With the ubiquity of mobile phones and the emergence of data-centric devices like the Blackberry and iPhone, the mobile phone will become a primary method for collecting consumer feedback." Cameron adds, "Researchers need powerful survey software which suits the mobile environment. The SODA platform can handle complex, multi-lingual surveys on even the most basic feature phones, and provides researchers with the tools required to manage large-scale projects -- across the country or around the globe."

The SODA platform builds on Techneos' reputation as a leader in mobile surveys, and represents a major leap forward in survey software for mobile phones. In addition to the mobile phone survey engine which runs on each user's mobile device, the SODA platform provides a powerful set of project management tools designed to meet the complex needs of survey research projects. A web-based customer portal allows researchers to deploy questionnaires to any number of mobile users, and to monitor data as it arrives in real-time. Survey data can even be pre-populated, and partially completed surveys can be reassigned to other users, allowing for a broad range of both self-complete and interviewer-based survey methods.

"The SODA platform is not just another simple survey tool for cell phones," adds Cameron. "Much like our Entryware? software that runs on PDAs and a select group of Smartphones, SODA software is a high-end research tool that includes a sophisticated scripting language and other features that 'real-world' survey projects demand. What's so exciting about the SODA platform is that for the first time, it brings this kind of high-end functionality to almost every make and model of mobile phone on the market."

The beta SODA offering will be available to select organizations that are committed to exploring the potential of mobile phones for research. Techneos will support in-depth technology reviews and pilot projects leading up to the full commercial release of the SODA platform in fall 2008. Researchers who today require a proven, production ready mobile solution for Palm® OS, Windows Mobile®, and Windows® devices are invited to try the Techneos Entryware? system.

About Techneos

Techneos is the world's leading provider of software and services for mobile survey research. Established in 1995, the company was the first to specialize in this area. Its Entryware? system has set the standard for mobile survey data collection, and is used by marketing and social researchers in over 35 countries. Techneos software is also distributed by authorized resellers in Europe, Central & South America, and New Zealand. The company is privately held, with headquarters in Vancouver, Canada.

Techneos solutions enable industry, government, and academic organizations to reach their customers and stakeholders at the point-of-experience. The company's flexible technology powers interviews, diaries, audits, and other on-site methodologies. Customers include 6 of the top 10 global market research firms; industry leading consumer goods companies, theme parks and other tourism destinations; and numerous government and academic organizations.

Visit www.techneos.com to learn more.

###