Remote device management interface

The process of 5, further comprising:

• dragging and dropping selected icon groupings of the multiple icon groupings to an area of the selection panel;
• enclosing the area of the selection panel in a boundary, wherein the enclosing encloses the selected icon groupings within the boundary;
• applying a common software update to each of the remote devices represented by the icons, on the map, to which the icon groupings enclosed within the boundary correspond;
• and
• selecting an icon grouping of the icon groupings enclosed within the boundary and updating the remote device, represented by the icon, on the map, to which the selected icon grouping corresponds, with individual updates for that remote device.

A network for remotely managing a plurality of remote devices that are mobile data collection devices, each individually configurable to have selected operating characteristics, wherein the operating characteristics comprise decoding at least one type of symbology, and wherein the remote devices comprise an internal GPS module, the network comprising:

• a server in communication with the plurality of remote devices that are mobile data collection devices;
• and
• a data processing system in communication with a display, wherein the data processing system is configured to perform a method comprising:
• providing a user interface, the user interface comprising a map of a geographical region in which one or more remote devices of the plurality of remote devices are located;
• assigning a common icon type for each remote device of a same type, and placing for each remote device of the one or more remote devices, a respective icon representative of the respective remote device on the map at a location on the map that corresponds to a location of the remote device in the geographical region the location determined at least in part based upon longitude and latitude data obtained from the remote device, wherein the common icon type is used for icons representative of remote devices of the same type;
• adjusting, for each icon placed on the map, a graphical characteristic of the respective icon to indicate a current configuration status for the remote device represented by the icon, the current configuration status determined based on performance data obtained from the remote device about performance of the remote device, wherein the performance data comprises data representative of time for the remote device to decode postal code symbology, and wherein the obtained performance data is cross-referenced to one or more specifications indicating one or more ranges for the performance data in order to determine whether the performance data is within specification and assess the current configuration status of the remote device, and wherein the current configuration status is determined based further on application of an update to the remote device based on the performance data being out of specification;
• adjusting, for each icon placed on the map, the location of the respective icon to indicate a current location of the remote device, the current location determined at least in part based upon longitude and latitude data obtained from the remote device;
• updating remote devices represented by icons to extend decoding capability to a different or additional symbology, performing at least one of adding another icon or modifying an icon of the at least one additional icon to indicate the extended decoding capability;
• determining that the update addresses a fault indicated by the performance data being out of specification, determining that the update is available, and applying the update in response to the update being available, wherein the current configuration status indicated by the adjusting of the graphical characteristic of the respective icon reflects the applied update;
• based on determining a correlation between the remote device and at least one other remote device of the plurality of remote devices, the correlation indicating that the at least one other remote device is likely to exhibit the fault, automatically applying another update to the at least one other remote device.