GoodInfo is Good's solution for integration with other enterprise applications, allowing for the delivery of Web-based contents to Good clients using a query/response architecture. The system does not appear to be as mature as competitive offerings, and we cringed when we read Good's assertion that the system is so easy that corporate developers could create wireless applications in minutes. Right. At the same time, we were impressed that Good included a detailed description of a GoodInfo application developed by Bechtel, a company whose business resembles MSE, our fictitious engineering-services company.
Good's response to our request for ROI models resulted in citation of a study by research and analysis firm Ipsos-Reid (now Ipsos-Insight), but instead of focusing on e-mail processing efficiency and reduced downtime, Good emphasized the system's potential to reduce monthly dial-up costs by 54 percent and cell-phone costs by 15 percent. Good also suggested that some organizations might save on laptop-deployment costs, presumably with users who would use handheld devices instead of notebooks.
Good's device support is limited to RIM BlackBerry and its own G100 device, but the company says it plans to add support for Palm OS and Pocket PC this year. Given its support for BlackBerry, we're comfortable that Good will be able to port its application to the other platforms, but we wonder whether there will be much in the way of device management available.
While Good touts its system as designed to work with a variety of wireless networks, it runs only on Mobitex. Support for GPRS and CDMA 1x is scheduled to be added soon after press time, making its offering significantly more credible.
The price of the GoodLink system includes both upfront and recurring costs, and we appreciated Good's easy-to-understand pricing model. The GoodLink Server costs $2,000 plus $50 for each user. Recurring maintenance is 18 percent of the system purchase price. Good's G100 devices cost $399, and the per-user charge for use of the Mobitex network and Good's Operations Center is $34.99 per month plus a $25 activation fee.
Good Technology, (408) 400-4800l, (866) 7-BE-GOOD. www.good.com