03/11/2011
APA Launches Free Product Reports App
APA’s first app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch provides free mobile access to reports documenting engineered wood products’ conformance with codes and standards.
As more and more design and building professionals go mobile, APA is answering the call with a new product targeting the growing number of smartphone users. Last month, APA launched its first mobile app: the APA Product Reports® App for iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod touch® is now available for free download from the Apple App Store℠.
The APA Product Reports App provides quick field access to the APA reports that document engineered wood products’ conformance with codes and standards. Users can search for APA Product Reports by keyword, report number, or browse through a list of active reports. The app also provides users with direct access to the APA Product Support Help Desk by phone or e-mail communication.
“There are studies that show that the sales of smartphones have overtaken PCs, and in the last year we’ve seen a significant increase in the use of mobile devices accessing APA’s websites,” said APA Website & Publications Coordinator LaDauna Wilson on the decision to produce a smartphone app. “We are looking at ways in which we can provide our users with easy mobile access to APA’s resources.”
Most mobile phone users in the US still own a traditional feature phone, but according to a report by eMarketer, smartphone ownership will rise from 31 percent of the mobile population this year to 43 percent by 2015. The report estimates that nearly 110 million Americans will have a smartphone by the end of that year.
In 2010, over 200,000 APA Products Reports were downloaded from www.apawood.org/productreports. The reports assist building officials and design professionals in determining a product's compliance with building codes and national, international or industry recognized standards. APA issues the reports for engineered wood products -- including plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), glulam, I-joists, and structural composite lumber (SCL) -- that are manufactured under a quality program audited by APA.
The APA Product Reports App is compatible with Apple mobile devices. APA is currently evaluating the possibility of developing additional apps for Apple products as well as other mobile devices.
Download the free APA Product Reports App from the App Store.
