Also, it's easier to sell an actual piece of software to old school companies than a pure web service. Throw together a 'POST' client in C# and you're done in a day.
Mobile clients might be very useful. Missed collaboration in construction often results in stuff that cost money to put there and more money to correct. The ability for those in the field to get clarification quickly could save lots of money.
The web designer industry is a niche in the overall economy, but it's one of the largest in the web based economiy. The reverse is true for the construction industry.
I have experience in selling B2B. Their pricing is wrong.
For example, what better way to communicate information that pertains to a particular geographical location than providing a map with the location clearly marked on it? Add photos into the mix, taken on site with their positions marked and even the direction in which the photo was taken and you can save yourself a thousand words.
As for the price of mobile applications, only a small percentage of mobile applications are stand-alone anyway, the majority being integrated with much bigger systems in order to expand, enhance and mobilize the workflow. We don't expect to butter our bread with mobile applications, but we do intend to increase the usability and usefulness of our system.
Trying to make some large mobile app would bog down the business, and it will not pay.
But that doesn't stop us planning, theorizing and experimenting. How else is innovation manifested? :-)
Were any of you guys trying to do this in Cincinnati, OH 10 years ago?
Also, I think you already have the idea, but don't forget that you can also make money selling disk space. Those who need a lot more of it may well be willing to pay for that at premium rates!