F1 Check-in on the iPad
We just recently heard that someone had found an app that would allow them to run Fellowship One Check-in on their iPad! After hearing this, we couldn’t resist trying it out on our own to see how it worked, and that’s what we did. The overview of how this is happening is through a Remote Desktop Connection. This means that the iPad is acting as a viewer, showing you what is happening on your full PC. That means this process still requires a computer capable of running check-in, but now you can view/use it on your iPad! So, let’s walk through how we set it up and got it working!
1. Enable remote connections to your Windows Check-in PC
-Go to your Start button and right click on “Computer” and then click on Properties
-Make a note of your computer’s name, you’ll need this when we set up the iPad app
-Switch to the tab “Remote” and check off the box for “Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure)”
2. Download the WinAdmin iPad app
-Go on your iPadd app store and download the iPadd app named “WinAdmin” ($8.99 in the Apple App Store)
3. Set up the WinAdmin app
-Open the app on your iPad and press the “+” button
-Now fill out the information required. Fill in whatever title you want for “Server Title”, put the computer name that you found earlier in “Server Address” and then fill in “Username” and “Password” with the credentials you use to log into the computer you will be viewing through this app.
-Press “Done”
4. Connect!
-Press “Connect” in the upper right hand corner and you should see your computer appear and can now run F1 check-in!
And this is what you end up with!
Although we wanted to share this idea with you, it’s not our app, so we won’t be able to provide any support around it, but feel free to leave a comment below and someone may have an answer for you! But what we are even more excited about is the additional functionality we will be rolling out in our REST API over the next few quarters and seeing what our Development Community makes specifically for Fellowship One! This is just the beginning of what we believe will take place within the next year!
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We just ordered an iPad and will be trying this out in production in the next few weeks. Very excited about the mobility this offers us and the opportunity to offer better customer care by having an Assisted Check-In station not anchored to a kiosk area.
Thanks for posting this . . . we’re going to mess around with this . . . this weekend.
Rich
I saw this earlier and there are a couple free apps that should work too. Can’t wait for the new REST Apis. Maybe someone can write an HTML5 version of checkin
I’d recommend iTap RDP as an alternative to WinAdmin. You might not need the additional features that iTap provides for F1 Check In, but you’ll come to appreciate them if you’re doing other RDP work.
Goodness! I wan this so badly! Hope I can have this one too, soon! Very soon!
Oh that’s hysterical.
Today we used and iPad running the WinAdmin app to do check-in at our Visitor Center at The Ark Church.
We had great response from the people that we checked in. they were blown away at the technology. As well as all the volunteers just wanted to play with the iPad, so I kept it close to me and for the “business” work only.
It will be nice one Multi-Tasking comes to the iPad that way every time you switch to something else you do not have to reconnect to the PC. That adds a few seconds of delay in the check-in process.
I posted some photos and more info at http://bit.ly/ipadcheckin
I guess this is a solution if you are already infused with workstations but too much overhead for a startup. Why hasn’t someone written the checkin station as an iPad/iPhone app so it can be the checkin station without the need for a backend workstation? Has anyone tried this using terminal services to supply multiple desktops to the iPads from a single computer?
>>Why hasn’t someone written the checkin station as an iPad/iPhone
>>app so it can be the checkin station without the need for a backend
>>workstation?
It doesn’t appear to me that the API supports check-in operations. So it would appear that either Fellowship Technologies would need to develop it, or they would need to expand the API.
http://developer.fellowshipone.com/docs/v1/Util/Docs.help
I talked to them today. They are concentrating on expanding the API but would leave the development of the app to a third party. No real time frame given.
Here is a quick video of the check-in/WinAdmin/iPad combo in action: http://www.vimeo.com/12491492
No time frame? It seems this is a potential income opportunity for them. Why buy anything else other than a tablet device for checkin anymore? Is there a particular section of the API that needs to be opened up so that third party development can take place in this arena?
Wondering if anyone has tried running the check-in app from a Citrix server. We have a Citrix server and there is an iPad Citrix Client app…
Looks neat. The majority of our check-in stations have barcode scanners and label printers, which I don’t see mentioned anywhere. Is this configuration an option or does this only work when you’re not using barcode or labels?
I understand the iPad being used as the remote user for the windows computer, but what I am still confused about is how the labels print for the check-in. The printer is connected to the windows computer, correct?
I am sure there are several ways to set this up, but in the video example above, I have the Zebra printer physically connected to a kiosk PC right next to it. The Zebra printer is shared on the network, and installed on the PC in our office running check-in for the iPad. Both the kiosk desk and the “iPad” use the same printer. This works for us (not recommended by FT though). However, you can accomplish the same result without having multiple check-in stations share a printer by using a USB print server like: http://www.iogear.com/product/GPSU01/.
Not to sound too geeky but is there a solution out there for a wireless printer that would go on your hip/side? I have experienced this when returning rental cars and the agent meets you in the lot, swipes your card, and then prints out a receipt. Perhaps the labels are too bulky. Just a thought.
Dave - yes, Zebra makes a bluetooth, battery powered printer. but you’ll have to pay for that technology (Zebra QL 320 Plus - @ CDW for $900)
So, I’m guessing this iPad implementation assumes you use the USB option for the chwck-in printers. We currently use the lpt port. How does the USB install differ? Do you need to install drivers?
I am currently setting up our first check-in station. Since we won’t be sharing the printer I’m assuming all I will need is the Ipad (or a separate networked computer)and a printer. Would there be any reason for the USB?
robdob- thanks for the info on the bluetooth printer option- have you tried it? Anyone else try it?
We are looking at the bluetooth printer option as well. Would love to know if someone has tried it before we purchased one. POS Computers said it if I have not talked to Fellowship One about this there is a 100% chance this will not work and the product line is non-returnable. That’s a big investment to make for a test trial.
This is what Sid at F1 said: Unfortunately the Zebra QL 320 Plus printer doesn’t support ZPL which is the language that check-in uses to “talk” to the printer. The printer has to support the ZPL language. There are only a few printers that do that. The QL 320 does not support ZPL. If a printer does it will list ZPL as a supported language or protocol. So, it sounds like we are not going to be able to use a portable printer with the cool Ipad function. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. Thanks!
Update: The QL 220 Plus does support ZPL language. http://www.zebra.com/id/zebra/na/en/index/products/printers/mobile/ql_220_plus.html Matt McMaster at F1 said they tested a mobile bluetooth zebra printer a year or so ago and we were able to get it to work. It has not been tested with an iPad. Anyone using this technology currently?
This is lame!!
Make an app already so we can stop buying computers(period), Make the app utilize Blue-tooth printing.
wireless printer - http://www.zebra.com/id/zebra/na/en/index/products/printers/mobile/p4t.html
We are looking for a Bluetooth printer option too. It would be nice to know if anyone has tried it before we bought one. Computer POS said, if I did not speak of a scholarship is a 100% chance this does not work and the product line of disposable bottles. This is a big investment to make the testing process.