FM Go solution distribution

[Greg Hains]

Hi.

I would like your thoughts please about the following setup. (I have searched the forum for similar questions before posting this) 

I have a client whose solution is under constant development with new modules and features. It is fully operational and working fine as it is - they just see the new screens as they are put in place. The solution is being worked on live which I know is not always best, but is the case here, due to the amount of work being carried out.

This client has 8 technicians in the field with iPads (and a couple of iPhones), and a few Windows desktops in the office. These iPads have an icon on their desktop that was setup by an MDM profile and it points directly back to FMS in the cloud. For the most part it all works very well, however, sometimes they briefly move into an area where there is no signal (e.g. a cold room), so the solution drops out or runs very slowly so I am currently looking at the idea of having the solution installed onto the local device so they always have access to it, then using the likes of 360Works MirrorSync to keep the data up to date with the server. 

The process that I am not sure how to tackle is that with the solution still under development, is ensuring that the iPads always have the latest version of the solution installed and that it can be done in the field. The technicians can not always get back to a desktop to transfer the file that way.

Rather than speeding headlong down a possibly wrong path, could anybody please give me a basic idea on how to approach the distribution process, whether it be product or products off the shelf, or if no such products exist, would a custom solution need to be written? 

The one rough idea that came to mind that I have not yet tested, is a separation model. A launcher on the local device that checks for a newer version of the solution on the server (not sure how to check for newer versions though), then if the server solution is newer (not by data, but by the solution itself) it then copies the file down and opens it. The first thing that local file then does is sync data to and from the server.  

This method seems clumsy to me, and with a solution that is 2GB in size, the technician may be waiting a while for the file download.

I am not expecting wordy or huge amounts of advice here - I would engage a consultant to do anything major if needed - but thought a few ideas could be splashed about.

Many thanks in advance for any feedback.

Cheers,
Greg