Tools

Introduction

This section gathers informations about existing tools (guidelines, software,...) to develop and deploy content and applications on mobile phones.

Resources

Software

SMS Related Tools

• frontlineSMS
  a package to create SMS-based applications dedicated to NGO/grass-root sector
  • FrontlineSMS Form
• A list of tools proposed by tacticaltech
  A list of free or open source tools for NGOs who want to implement a mobile strategy
• RapidSMS
  RapidSMS is an open source SMS-based monitoring, data collection tool and communication tool that allows both quantitative and qualitative data through SMS forms and bulk SMS messaging feature. It also incudes support for IVR interaction and voice callback. It is mostly built in python and uses other large opensource projects such as Django, Asterisk, Kannel, and MobilEd. RapidSMS is based on UNICEF work using mobile phones in the field.
• Software that enables health workers to utilize electronic medical records (EMR) remotely via SMS
• Free Software/Tools and Libraries for Sending and Receiving SMS Messages with a Computer / PC
• MobileActive analysis of Data collection tools on mobile (SMS, Web, dedicated apps..)
• SMS Server Tools
• Microsoft Research SMS toolkit
• Open Mobile Consortium lists of tools (SMS, Web,...)
• BulkSMS - Internet based sms messaging solutions
• Clickatell - bulk SMS gateway
• Tips and hints for sending and receiving of SMS
  by using of GSM, GPRS or 3G modem
• Kirusa Voice to SMS tool
• Esendex Email SMS - Send SMS from any email client
• Esendex Web SMS - Send SMS from the web through the Esendex gateway

MMS Related Tools

• Mbuni: Open Source MMS Gateway

Emulators, Simulators, SDKs and related tools

• Opera Mobile Emulator for PC/Mac and Link to Opera Mini online simulator
• Simulators for Blackberry devices
• Android Emulator
• Tools for WebOS
• Tools for iPhone

Mobile Web Related Tools

• A list of tools proposed by tacticaltech
  A list of free or open source tools for NGOs who want to implement a mobile strategy
• ushashidi platform for crowdsource crisis information
  an open-source free platform for crowdsource crisis information
  August 2008
• Sahana
  Sahana is a free and open source Disaster Management System. It is a web based collaboration tool that addresses the common coordination problems during a disaster from finding missing people, managing aid, managing volunteers, tracking camps effectively between Government groups, the civil society (NGOs) and the victims themselves.
• CAM
  CAM is a mobile application framework for the rural developing world.
• W3C Mobile Web development corner
  W3C maintains a list of mobile web related softwares and guidelines
• MobileActive analysis of Data collection tools on mobile (SMS, Web, dedicated apps..)
• Open Mobile Consortium lists of tools (SMS, Web,...)
• Mobile Hacking
  Wiki for people who are curious about developing computer and mobile phone applications that involve various telephony interfaces such as voice dialing, IVR, and SMS functionality.

Voice Related tools

• Asterisk, Free and open source software PABX
• PHP Voice, PHP Classes to generate voice application
• list of tools proposed by tacticaltech
• Mobile Hacking
  Wiki for people who are curious about developing computer and mobile phone applications that involve various telephony interfaces such as voice dialing, IVR, and SMS functionality.
• the Jakarta Project
  Jakarta, JSP-2.0 Reusable Dialog Components (RDC) --- a framework for creating JSP taglibs that aid in rapid development of voice and multimodal applications.

VoiceXML

• • Voice Glue, VoiceXML module for Asterisk
  • VXI* VoiceXML Browser, VoiceXML module for Asterisk
• VoiceXML Development Tools
• The SpeakRight Framework
  SpeakRight is an open-source Java framework for writing speech recognition applications in VoiceXML
• JVoiceXML a Java VoiceXML interpeter (supports 2.1, JSAPI, FreeTTS, MRCP)
• BladewareVXML open-source VoiceXML 2.1 interpreter
• public VoiceXML - a free complete voice Browser
• World of VoiceXML - VoiceXML Development Tools
• VoiceXML Developer Tools Roundup
• voicexml tools reviews and downloads
• Tellme Studio
  Tellme Studio is a powerful suite of Web-based VoiceXML development tools and community resources that enable you to build, test, and publish your own Internet-powered, voice-enabled applications on the Tellme Network.

Speech Recognition

• WAMI a Javascript API for speech recognition
• Sphinx, a free Speech Recognition engine

Speech Synthesis

• The MARY text-to-speech system Open source, Supports german, British and American English, Telugu, and Turkish [16 Aug 2010]
• Festival, a free Text-To-Speech engine Open source, Supports English (British and American), and Spanish [Apr 2010]

Guidelines/ToolKit

• Mobile Advocacy Toolkit
  Toolkit of easily accessible tools and materials about mobile technologies, for use by activists and social justice organisations
• JavaROSA
  JavaRosa is a project to create open source solution for mobile XForms collection. JavaRosa is a project from the OpenRosa consortium.
• Open Data Kits
  Open Data Kit (ODK) is a suite of tools to help organizations collect, aggregate and visualize their data. goals are to make open-source and standards-based tools which are easy to try, easy to use, easy to modify and easy to scale
• mobileEd Tools and guidelines
  MobilED initiative is designing learning environments that are meaningfully enhanced with mobile technologies and services.

Misc

• Database of tools and Vendors on MobileActive Directory
• Open Mobile Consortium list of tools
• Swift is a Free and Open Source toolset for crowdsourced situational awareness.

Services

• CellAlert beta
  The parent site of GrantAlerts, which scours the web for grants for you and delivers them direct to your email and cell phone.
• MobileAccord
  Mobile Accord is an innovative Mobile Application Service Provider/Cause-Marketing Agency dedicated to helping major non-profits, political organizations, universities, and corporate cause-marketers understand and benefit from the power of mobile technology.
• Mobile Researcher
  Powered by the Populi.net platform, Mobile Researcher transforms the ubiquitous mobile phone into a cutting-edge research tool. Deploy surveys to fieldworkers in minutes, monitor, manage and communicate with your team and analyse responses in real-time.
• Tropo (from Voxeo) a cloud-based API that transform voice commands or sms messages into calls to your application's API. In other words people can send an SMS (or an IM, or calls) to Tropo's number, and tropo will send a POST message to your webapp, which can react accordingly.
• AT&T's Speech Mashup is a similar service.

Misc

• Great Resources for the Mobile Developer
  Robert Allen
  April 09
  • Great Resources for the Mobile Developer-Part 2
    May 2009
• Indispensable ICT Tools for teachers
  Not focused on mobile, but some tools for mobile listed
• Tools and hardware pieces for GSM GPRS UMTS etc transmission
  Includes wireless Camera transmitting over GPRS