There are few products in the market that I have tested over the years that were as versatile as Telecompute Integrated Systems’ Digital Stick.
The Digital Stick is, as it sounds, a USB thumb drive packed with a database application called Twine Contact Manager.
The one gigabyte drive is easy to install and easy to operate. It took me literally seconds to plug it in, log on and start creating new contact files. The password protected application has a clear and simply interface and is intelligently laid out with Your Applications, System Tools, Help, Documentation along with Security, Log Out and Utilities.
The actual program was easy to use. Adding and searching for contacts is pretty standard.
I was testing a demo unit so there were some glitches, such as you could not add an image. I clicked everywhere around where an image could be added but nothing came up.
Also, when I came back to edit a new contact I created, the notes section moved to the URL field, while the notes section was filled with unreadable text.
I did like the recent contact area of the software. It was really convenient to access contacts that a user would work on everyday.
And, convenience and access is what the Digital Stick is all about. The Digital Stick is portable and operates a relational database engine called Digital Anchor.
It is this versatility to carry a small item in your brief case, pocket, over night bag really anything to a client office, supplier’s office or on the road somewhere and have a sure-fire contact database with you. A user does not have to worry about a shoddy wireless connection.
As for the security aspect of the Digital Stick, I can see users losing or misplacing it, but since it works independently of your desktop PC or laptop there will be no data trails left behind.
Another aspect of the Digital Stick’s versatility is that software does not suck up any system resources or disk space.
For resellers, Telecompute believes solution providers will be able to deploy custom-build portable applications onto smart phones or PDA, including flash memory. Potential applications for the Digital Stick could include: Customer Relationship Management software, inventory and catalogue system, payroll and accounting applications.
Toronto-based Telecompute provides resellers with a Digital Stick software development kit.
According to the company, by using the Digital Stick synchronization service, the user’s application data is securely synchronized with the Digital Stick storage cloud or the developer’s own hosted storage solution.
The company also has a Digital Stick community where developers can interact and pass ideas through others who are also creating new programs for the product.
