First off, let me state that I don't even know if what I'm wanting to do is even a possibility. It may be pretty simple, or it could be too complex for me to want to get into. I'll do my best to explain what it is that I'm trying to accomplish.

I have a large piece of property, in which I manage some 20-30 security cameras on. The cameras are all still photo cameras, not connected to one another. They are placed throughout the property (which is a large area, about 800 acres). I have each of these cameras named, based on their location (ex: North Side, South Side, Big Pond, etc.). In order to manage these cameras, we must physically visit each of them periodically. We swap out the memory cards, change batteries if necessary, replace cameras if they are broken, make any notes that need to be taken. Currently, I have an excel spreadsheet that we carry with us as a "check list" to help us keep track of everything:

Camera Name:
Camera Brand:
Card Replaced (DATE):
Batteries Replaced (DATE):
Additional Notes:

With 20-30 cameras, this gets to be annoying and hard to keep up with. What I'm wanting to do is create an Android / iPhone app that I can use to simply put this information in and have it submitted to my DNN website to help me keep track. I would need to be able to look at the history of the cameras to see when they were checked last (ie: when were the batteries replaced? When was the memory card last swapped out, etc.).

Should I just have a DNN module built to do what I am wanting, and access the page from my mobile phone? Are there any modules out there that can be configured to do what I am wanting to do, or would this need to be a totally custom built module?

The reason for doing this is so that I can have anyone check on these cameras if I am not available to do so. I'd like to have a central database with all of this information in it, so that we don't all have these paper spreadsheets and only one of us having the most up to date information. For example, John could open the app, or access the site and see that the North Side Camera has not been checked in quite some time. John can go check the batteries, swap out the card, and make an indication that it has been taken care of.

I've recently developed a couple of "simple" mobile sites using DNN that access custom tables in the DNN database.

I'd use either XMod Pro, if the concept is a simple List/Detail, or Open Web Studio if it needs to be more complex.

Another way to look at this is that you're probably not the only person in the world that wants to do something like this... I'd suggest having it built using the easiest tools and approach for the people using it, which may be web-based as far as we can tell so far.

Then... Once you have it working the way you want it, I'd suggest either selling the module in the store, or as a web application to the general public.

Sorry, but the entrepreneur in me comes out from time to time. There's some opportunity here to make some additional fun money. :)

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Will Strohl

Upendo Ventures DNN experts since 2003 Official provider of the Hotcakes Commerce Cloud and SLA support