Frequently Asked Questions
Feature FAQs
Q. What key benefits does Mobenzi Researcher offer me?
A.
Simplicity, flexibility, scalability and affordability are the most common benefits cited by organisations who use Mobenzi Researcher.
Depending on whether one compares Mobenzi Researcher to a paper-based system or a "high-end" technical solution, there are numerous other advantages which can be considered.
Of course it's important to consider each case based on its merits.
If you'd like a more formal assessment of the benefits Mobenzi Researcher can offer your organisation, please feel free to make contact with us.
Q. How long can a survey/form be?
A.
There is no theoretical limit to how long a survey can be.
The complexity of each question and memory available to the handset are the key determining factors.
As a rule of thumb, an entry-level handset has sufficient memory to handle surveys of about 100 typical questions, and higher end handsets several hundred questions.
Q. How many different survey/form templates can be stored on a handset?
A.
There is no theoretical limit to how many templates a single handset can store.
The complexity of each template (number/complexity of its questions) and memory available to the handset are the key determining factors.
As a rule of thumb, an entry-level handset has sufficient memory to handle at least 20 templates of typical length.
Q. How many submissions can a handset store before needing to upload?
A.
There is no theoretical limit to how many completed submissions a handset can store at any given point in time.
The complexity of the submission (how many questions were answered and the data types of each question) as well as the memory available to the handset are the key determining factors.
As a rule of thumb, an entry-level handset has sufficient memory to store at least 50 submissions for a typical survey with higher end handsets capable of storing many hundreds or thousands.
It is not recommended to store significant numbers of submissions on a handset as this introduces risk of data loss should the handset be lost, stolen or experience hardware failure. For this reason, Mobenzi Researcher automatically attempts to upload a submission as soon as it is captured and, should connectivity not be possible, retries periodically while the application is running.
Q. What are the benefits of a hosted solution (SaaS)?
A.
Offering Mobenzi Researcher as a SaaS solution allows each organisation to benefit from our enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure regardless of whether they need to process only a few hundred responses or tens of millions.
Each account benefits from load balancing, failover, redundant fibre links, and secure offsite backup.
SaaS lets you focus on your objectives rather than on the infrastructure setup, security and data management.
Q. Can I capture data via SMS?
A.
The Mobenzi Researcher web console can be configured to receive inputs from other channels including SMS, WAP and IVR.
Billing FAQs
Q. What are usage credits?
You need 1 credit to capture the response to a question such as:
Response credits are also used to capture and deliver multimedia content such as images (handset dependent). For multimedia, the number of response credits used is based on the amount of data transferred.
Q. Do credits expire?
A. Yes. Credits must be used within 24 months of purchase.
Q. How do I purchase credits?
A.
Credits may be purchased via Paypal or bank transfer.
Q. What is a "PINless" airtime recharge?
A.
With most mobile operators, airtime may either be loaded onto a SIM by entering a voucher code (PIN) or by directly crediting the SIM's airtime balance at a network level without any code being entered.
The latter is referred to as a "PINless" recharge since no PIN needs to be entered and the recharge takes place seamlessly without any user intervention.
Technical FAQs
Q. What are the minimum handset requirements?
A. In general, handsets which support Java and GPRS will be compatible.
If a model isn't listed on our supported handsets page, please feel free to contact our support team to enquire.
If you are looking for alternative data collection mechanisms such as SMS, WAP or IVR, please make contact with us to discuss your requirements.
Q. What does it mean if a mobile phone supports Java?
A. Java allows a phone to have third-party applications installed on it.
This means functionality (such as the ability to conduct surveys) not originally built into the phone itself can be added,
vastly improving the capabilities of the phone. Millions of mobile phones and other devices support the Java platform.
Q. What is GPRS?
A.
As opposed to a voice call, where a dedicated connection is esablished and billed for on time, GPRS is a mobile network technology which allows data to be transferred, and only the amount of data sent and received is billed for.
Essentially, it is one mechanism for a phone to connect to the internet.
It is a very low cost alternative as the fieldworker is only billed for the data transferred (which is minimal for a survey).
Newer technologies which provide faster transfer rates are becoming more common such as EDGE and 3G (used if available).
Q. What is the difference between a feature phone and a smartphone?
A.
Although there's no formal definition, one generally refers to a feature phone as a handset without a full-blown operating system.
A feature phone supports Java (a "platform") but has very limited capabilities beyond this (and is thus often substantially cheaper than a smartphone).
Smartphones are characterised by the operating system supported.
Common examples include Android, Symbian, Blackberry, iOS (iPhone) & Windows Mobile (now Windows Phone).
In the case of Mobenzi Researcher, a key differentiating factor is that it offers advanced functionality on feature phones as well as many smartphones.
Q. What formats can I export my data in?
A.
From the Web Console, data may be exported in Microsoft Excel format or as Comma Separated Variables (CSV).
By using the API, data may be returned in either XML or Json formats.
Data security FAQs
Q. Where are the Mobenzi Researcher data centres?
A.
Our data centres are located in Cape Town, South Africa.
Q. Can I store my data in my own database?
A.
Yes.
Using our API you can configure Mobenzi Researcher to notify you when a submission is received.
You can then automatically download the submission and store it in your own database.
Should you wish, the API can be used to remove the original submission - although you will then have limited access to other features available via the Web Console.
Q. Is my data encrypted?
A.
All traffic between your browser and the Web Console is protected by 128-bit SSL encryption - the same security provided by most online banks.
