In this episode of In Discovery Mode, ModeOne’s Chief Innovation Officer Ryan Frye sits down with William Odom, Co-Founder of Orbital Data Consulting, to discuss how remote mobile data collection has evolved from a niche solution into the industry standard.

Drawing on decades of combined experience, Ryan and Bill reflect on the early days of travel-heavy, in-person collections and contrast them with today’s secure, cloud-based workflows. The conversation explores real-world global use cases—including complex international matters—along with the practical benefits of remote collection: faster timelines, reduced costs, improved defensibility, and fewer logistical and privacy risks.

The episode also addresses why clients now expect remote collection capabilities, how cloud-first infrastructure supports regional data requirements, and why eliminating unnecessary travel has improved both operational efficiency and work-life balance across the industry.