Bing Maps, Silverlight, ArcGIS Mashup for Workforce Automation

Accela released Accela GIS 7.0, an enterprise mashup of Bing Maps, Silverlight and ArcGIS to create a workforce automation solution that is described by the company as "map centric". Accela, itself a mashup of companies (Open Data and Sierra Computer, and then adding Tidmark and Kiva later), has made the interface to their new product easy to navigate from a map interface to forms and back to maps. After selecting work
orders for a single geographic area, there is a routing engine integrated with the
permitting module so work order personnel can ask for route directions. The Accela Mobile Office is nicely designed to provide the same functionality. But clearly, much work went into designing an interface that, with large icons and a map navigation panel (at right; click for larger image), helps non-GIS personnel create work orders in an intuitive fashion.