Home > U2 Universtiy 2010 Session Highlights

U2 Universtiy 2010 Session Highlights

This year's U2 University conference featured more than 50 sessions on a wide range of topics. Here are three highlights from the event:

Image Management in U2
Paul Chang, Tom Loveless, Rocket U2

This session focused on how to store images and other binary files directly in U2 files. Attendees learned how to use the existing Base64 conversion functionality in Basic, Java and .NET interfaces, and saw a demo of this functionality and learned how easy it is to deploy and explore some of the solution examples created by the U2 experts.

"We actually developed this capability to meet an internal need," Loveless says. "When Rocket acquired U2 a year ago, we had to switch our engineering case management to the company's Rocket Track system. We ended up creating files that could include images, video and screenshots, rather than linking them as attachments. After we built this capability for our own internal use, we saw an opportunity to share the technology with Rocket U2 users. The technology itself is not new, but we felt many Rocket U2 users were unaware of the capability."

Creating iPhone or iPad Applications for Your U2 Solution
Henry Unger, Hitech Systems

One of the most popular smart phones is the iPhone; and the iPad has jump-started the tablet industry. This presentation focused on developing for this environment - how users can develop exciting apps that connect with U2 programs and data. Unger wowed the standing-room-only crowd by demonstrating a real-time iPad application that helps keep police officers and firefighters informed of emergency incidents in real time.

Unger's company, Hitech Systems, develops technologies that provide command and control systems for 9-1-1 emergency communication centers. The company recently launched a mobile application for iPhones and iPads that provides real-time information to first responders no matter where they are. "Responders can be anywhere, including on foot, bicycles, horses and Segways," Unger says. "SafetyNet® Mobile Insight for Apple iPhone and iPad uses Rocket U2 data to give responders access to the most current information, no matter where they are. I believe that the U2 products are ideal for building mobile apps, and I see this becoming a bigger trend as companies and organizations realize the importance of supporting these environments."

Making Your U2 System Run Faster and Better
Steve O'Neal and Jonathan Smith, Rocket U2

This session focused on the latest information U2 Professional Services has learned from performing hundreds of U2 HealthChecks. Attendees studied the most common bottlenecks and how to make to the system and applications run better and faster.

"Everyone wants to have a system that is as efficient and responsive as possible, and our goal was to show people how to do that with U2," O'Neal says. "U2's variable length fields, files & data provide for a very fluid environment, and if you don't pay attention to how you design and modify your application, it might eventually run slower. This session focused on increasing efficiency by reducing READs and creating 'smokin' fast' performance."