Mobile technology has emerged as a key component of global health informatics. With the expansion of this technology, a plethora of tools and systems have materialized. With so many systems, it is difficult to know which tools to apply. To add to the confusion, no standards or guidelines currently exist. Additionally, there is a clear need for an end-to-end, opensource, scalable mobile system that incorporates functionality for questionnaire design, data management, analysis and reporting. These gaps must be addressed in order for mobile surveillance technologies adoption to advance adequately.