Crisisworks software supports a wide variety of mobile devices, but there are differences in the level of compatibility and support we can offer depending on the device.
General comments
Mobile device technology is still rapidly evolving, so we recommend adopting a hardware purchase cycle of 2 years to keep current with the changes.
Older devices may still work with Crisisworks, but performance may become slower and less reliable over time. Datalink generally targets device families under 2 years of age, as that is the typical purchase cycle adopted by our customers, however long-term support contracts can be established for enterprises with longer-term support needs.
In general, age is not the only indicator of device lifespan. Typically, higher cost devices have longer lives, so look to maximise the device's internal specs at the time of purchase if longevity is a concern. A base-level iPad with 16 GB storage from 2 years ago is already approaching its end of usefulness, however a 64 GB iPad mini 2 is still useful at 5 years of age.
Apple iOS devices
Hardware
Devices less than 2 years old are fully supported. Devices older than that will typically remain supported so long as they were purchased with sufficient storage, and can be upgraded to within the latest or previous operating systems.
Operating system
Crisisworks will always support the current iOS version as well as the previous version, and we try to keep our backward compatibility as broad as possible.
At the time of writing, this means devices running iOS 11 and iOS 10 are supported, however this will change as Apple release new operating system updates.
You should always run the latest version of the operating system for your device, and ensure you regularly check for and apply updates as they are made available.
Storage
Crisisworks targets devices with 32 GB of storage or greater. Devices with 16 GB of storage are still common and still do work, but you may experience increased error rates especially if working on larger events.
Size
iPads and iPhones are supported at any screen size.
Cellular and GPS
Although Crisisworks will run on Wifi-only models, we recommend a cellular-enabled device to fully utilise the software. iPads without cellular connectivity also do not have GPS capability, and rely instead on less accurate techniques which are not suitable for field use. iPhones are good substitutes for field use if an iPad is not available.
Android devices
Operating System
Crisisworks will support the latest Android version as well as all previous operating system released within the previous 2 years.
At the time of writing, this means devices running Android 8 (Oreo), Android 7 (Nougat) and Android 6 (Marshmallow) are supported.
Brands and Models
The Android ecosystem is large and diverse, and Datalink does not have the capacity to test on all models and variants. This is why we recommend using popular models within major brands such as Samsung, Google, Lenovo and HTC.
Note that we've seen the major brands sell low-cost devices within their range that do not have sufficient hardware support for Crisisworks, so we recommend you stick to popular models and not discounted or entry-level models.
Storage
Crisisworks targets devices with 32 GB of storage or greater.
Size
All popular screen sizes are supported.
Cellular
Although Crisisworks will run on Wifi-only models, we recommend a cellular-enabled device to fully utilise the software. Tablets without cellular connectivity tend to also not have GPS capability so are not suitable for field use.
Windows devices
Windows support is currently in beta and customers should perform their own tests prior to adopting this into production environments. Datalink is not providing production-level support to this device family as yet, and support can only be provided on a best effort basis.
Hardware
The Windows 10 tablet market is very difficult to navigate, so Datalink cannot provide any recommendations as yet. We are in beta and will be led by our customer's own research in terms of future support.
Brands and models
Our research indicates that the majority of devices do not have cellular connectivity nor in-built GPS, so these devices may not be suitable for in-field use. Mobile manufacturers such as Samsung appear to have devices that are more field-friendly than more traditional manufacturers such as Toshiba — for example, the Samsung Galaxy Book 12" has a Windows 10 edition with built-in cellular and GPS, with a build quality in line with their Android editions. Meanwhile, there appears to be only one Toshiba's windows tablet at the time of writing that supports cellular connectivity, and it doesn't have an inbuilt GPS unit.
Operating System
Windows 10 has a wide number of editions with the Pro edition being the target edition for development. Crisisworks is deployed over the Windows Store and can also be deployed by enterprises via their mobile device management system. Be sure to run the latest version of Windows 10.
Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 are not supported by the Crisisworks app, but can be used with a web browser to use our web interface instead.