MDM5 98-03-01 18.53 Sida 3 mobile dataEVO takes your LAN on the road [14 ]mobile data •M A G A Z I N E• All included with MobileLogic[17 ] Parking worries solved in Australia[10

EVO takes your LANon the road [14]

mobile data• M A G A Z I N E •

All included withMobileLogic [17]

Parking worries solved in Australia [10] • Wireless intranet im-proves field service [12 ] • When timing meets opportunity [20]

2/98

MDM5 98-03-01 18.53 Sida 3

2 mobile data magazine

P O S TA L A D D R E S S

Ericsson Mobile Data Design ABS:t Sigfridsgatan 89S-412 66 GöteborgSweden

E- M A I L

[email protected]

I N T E R N E T

http://www.ericsson.se/mobitex

P U B L I S H E R

Gunilla RydbergTel: +46 31 703 64 33E-mail:[email protected]

E D I T O R S

Ingrid WallgrenTel: +46 31 703 64 40E-mail: [email protected]

Henrik KoolTel: +46 31 703 63 72E-mail:[email protected]

C O N T R I B U T O R S

Alan Sheats & Eva Jonsson Wallin

E D I T O R I A L C O N S U LTA N T

Bugli Company AB

L AYO U T

Henrik Kool

P R I N T E D B Y

Palmeblads AB,Gothenburg, Sweden

P R E P R E S S

CITAT AB, Gothenburg

Mobile Data Magazine ispublished under Swedishpress law by Ericsson MobileData Design AB in cooperationwith The Bugli Company.

The opinions expressed inMobile Data Magazine are notnecessarily those of EricssonMobile Data Design AB.

Mobile Data Magazine is distributed to the internationaltelecommunications communityin more than 100 countries.

contents: no.2 1998Publisher’s note.Wirelessly extending the network - The themeof this issue is the wireless office and remoteaccess to the office LAN. This is a very dynamicand exciting market segment, with many playerscontributing to raising the activity level.

Mobile data news.Record at RAM • Mobicom in Turkey on the rise •Wireless access to SAP R/3 • Safer buses inParis • SunMail out of the shade.

Parking worries solved in Australia:Two Australian councils in the Sydney area areusing wireless data technology to improve serv-ice to realising substantial cost benefits.Telemetry is one of the application areas onwhich United Wireless is currently focusing.

Wireless Intranet at Honeywell:Industry giant improves customer responsive-ness and enhances productivity by wirelesslymoving information to the field. Mobitex andwireless intranet access provided importantcomponents of the solution.

EVO takes your LAN on the road:Ericsson´s Virtual Office software provides thefoundation for a new generation of wirelesslyenabled, messaging based workgroup applica-tions.

Everything included with MobileLogicFinancial analysts know a good investmentwhen they see one. It is hardly surprising then

that several major investment firms have decidedto outsource their wireless data networks opera-tions to WTI.

When timing meets opportunityIn conjunction with MOA´s Executive Committeemeeting held in Gothenburg, Sweden on January19 to 21, 1997, Mobile Data Magazine talked tonewly elected Chairman David Neale and newlyappointed Executive Director Jack Barse.Judging from their optimism and enthusiasm,1998 is going to be a great year for Mobitex.

Wanda WaveI pondered the meaning of “pure virtual”. Myprogrammer friends had explained to me that itreferred to a function that was declared butnever defined in class…

[14]

[17]

[21]

[23]

[3]

[4]

[10]

[12]

MDM5 98-03-01 18.53 Sida 4

-

of mobileData magazine is atask I approach withsome anxiety. Likean artist followingup a hit record, thereis nothing like successto put fear into theheart of a publisher.

Your glowing comments on ournew magazine have been trulyheart-warming. Of course, we havemade every effort to make MobileData Magazine a valuable source ofinspiration and information in yourwork. So far, your response indi-cates that we are succeeding. Wehope that this issue continues tomeet your high expectations.

The theme for this issue is thewireless office and remote access tothe office LAN. This is a verydynamic and exciting market seg-ment, with many players contribut-ing to raising the activity level.Among the many products on themarket, we have tried to focus onthe newest and most important,even if this has meant excludingsome established products.

We are particularly excited aboutEVO, Ericsson’s Virtual Office soft-ware. Of course, we are proudbecause this is an Ericsson product.More importantly, however, webelieve that EVO represents a new

level of sophistication in wirelessdata middleware. Anywhere/any-time access to the office LAN as afull network member providescapabilities that are simply notpresent in less sophisticated mobileoffice or wireless e-mail solutions.

Wireless Telecom Inc. is one ofthe true innovators in the wirelessdata industry. The company’sMobileLogic Network Servicesoffer an outsourcing solution forcompanies wanting to introducewireless data technology in theirbusiness. With MobileLogic evensmall and medium-sized companiesare able to test drive the latest tech-nology and introduce wireless datainto their operations in a cost-effec-tive manner.

The success of WTI’s Mobile-Logic Network Service carries someimportant insights for the Mobitexcommunity. Mobitex operatorshave long been aware of the impor-tance of alliances and businesspartnerships with suppliers and sys-tems integrators in delivering thesolutions that customers need.MobileLogic takes this approachone step further by offering a turn-key solution with everything in asingle package. Perhaps it is not anappropriate model in your market,but the issues it addresses can onlybe ignored at your own risk.

In another article from the U.S.

market, we present a sales and fieldforce automation solution devel-oped for Honeywell’s service busi-ness. This application uses the latestInternet technology and RAMMobile Data’s Mobitex network toallow service technicians to accessvast amounts of product informa-tion from the field.

In this issue of Mobile DataMagazine, we take great pleasure inintroducing David Neale, the newchairman of the Mobitex OperatorsAssociation (MOA). Of course,David is no stranger to industryveterans, but the vision he presentsfor the future of Mobitex is brandnew. As an organisation, MOA hasnever been stronger, and Mobitex’prospects have never been better.

As usual, we have a news sectionfilled with the latest Mobitex devel-opments and several longer articlesfrom the market. Many of theseitems were submitted by our read-ers. We welcome your contribu-tions, suggestions and comments,and we thank you for helping us tocontinue to improve Mobile DataMagazine. ■

P U B L I S H E R S N O T E

mobile data magazine 3

Wirelessly extending the network

Gunilla Rydberg

MDM5 98-03-01 18.53 Sida 5

mobile data news■ One of the latest developments

in the mobile data arena is wire-

less access to SAP R/3 using the Mobitex

network. Currently available through RAM

Mobile Data in the Netherlands, the solu-

tion enables information to be retrieved

from a corporate SAP R/3 system any-

where, anytime.

There are three different approaches

to a wireless SAP R/3 solution, depending

on the needs of the customer:} Through a Web browser, by using a

wireless link to the SAP R/3 Web inter-

face, which is the front end for the R/3

server.} Based on a TCP/IP gateway, which

creates a wireless link directly to the

R/3 server.} Using a certified SAP R/3 connection

with a dedicated server especially tuned

for efficient communication with the R/3

server.

A solution based on the certified SAP

R/3 connection will soon be imple-

mented at EDON, a Dutch utility com-

pany. This will enable dispatch mes-

sages to be sent out directly via the R/3

service module to 250 field service

engineers, all equipped with mobile ter-

minals. Two companies, Information

Builders and Hi-Spex Engineering, have

developed and implemented the solu-

tion.

Several of the SAP R/3 modules are

highly suitable for wireless access.

Most obvious is the maintenance and

service organisation module, which

allows mobile users to immediately deal

with administrative tasks while at the

customer’s site. Sales representatives

can be given direct access to customer

records, stock levels and article infor-

mation. New orders can also be placed

directly into the central manufacturing

system, generating a more immediate

response. Orders are thus processed

faster and the products delivered earli-

er.

Mobile data communication can be a

useful extension of SAP R/3 functionality.

The potential market for the application

is considerable, taking into account the

large number of companies using R/3

worldwide.

For more information:

Henrik-Jan Bekedam,

RAM Mobile Data Netherlands

[email protected]

Tel: +31 30 239 0318

Wireless access to SAP R/3


Service engineers can begiven direct access to stocklevels and article information.

▲

SAPR/3

SERVER

SERVICE ENGINEER

OUTERWEBGATEWAY

LAN

Fault reports through anInternet connection directly tothe SAP server.

▲

The communications centre of the serviceorganization

▲

CUSTOMER

SERVICE ORG.

INTERNET

▼ The full service Intranet/Internet concept

MDM5 98-03-01 18.53 Sida 6

■ As part of its ongoing commit-

ment to business partners, RAM

Mobile Data in the U.K. asked PA

Consulting, Europe’s largest manage-

ment and technical consultancy, to

establish independent, quantified data

on the differences between the Mobitex

network and GSM networks. PA Con-

sulting has conducted independent

technical evaluations on issues that

affect end-users and published a white

paper on its findings.

The competitive tests involved several

parties. Three X Communications devel-

oped the original application based on

their proven software. RCC Consultants

Limited carried out the mobile field trials

and PA Consulting Group audited the tri-

als to ensure that none of the networks

under consideration had an unfair advan-

tage in addition to preparing the report.

Given that there are several competing

services and that none is “best” in all cir-

cumstances, the tests attempted to

define the situations in which Mobitex

provides the best service.

From a user perspective, a number

criteria are important when choosing a

mobile data technology and service

provider:

} Cost – the rental plus call charges

for the anticipated data volumes

} Reliability – high integrity and low

error rate

} Speed of transmission

} Low congestion, so that calls suc-

ceed on the first try

} Low call failures, such as during

handovers from one cell to the

next

There were four sets of tests, carried

out at specific times on specific days

in September and October 1997.

Each test series was run with RAM

Mobile Data and on the GSM net-

works operated by Vodaphone and

Cellnet. The tests were designed to

be representative of a typical mobile

data user, recording the success in

transferring data, the time it took, the

cost (when this was available) and

the location (to check against the

predicted coverage).

The answers to the questions posed

by users and supported by the evi-

dence from these competitive trials is

that Mobitex should be used for fre-

quent, small data transfers and for a

high success rate in both achieving

and maintaining connections.


Frances Crossley,

RAM Mobile Data Ltd

[email protected]

Tel: +44 181 990 9090

The PA Consulting report´s chief conclusions:} Mobitex is more reliable than GSM data for both in-vehicle and

hand-portable solutions when comparing the success rates of

completed calls, both static and in two raoming areas.

} RAM’s coverage matches and exceeds the areas indicated on

its published coverage maps. Both Vodaphone and Cellnet maps

are overstated for data coverage.

} Data transactions can be completed faster over the Mobitex

network than over GSM networks. This applies to short trans-

actions and one-way data transfers up to 3 kbytes – in other

words, the bulk of RAM’s data traffic.

} GSM is more expensive than Mobitex for frequent short-data

transfer, equivalent to more than 25 data messages per work-

ing day. This applies when the average is less than 650 bytes

per transaction – again, tha bulk of RAM’s data traffic.

} The GSM Short Message Service (SMS) is noticeably slower

than the Mobitex service for all kinds of interactive transaction

and data transfer.

■ Ericsson Mobile Data Design has

published a new six-page brochure

that gives a brief, yet comprehensive

overview of the Mobitex system and

services.

The brochure is targeted at deci-

sion-makers with somewhat limited

technical knowledge. Network operators

will find it useful to include in their sales

kits and as a general presentation to

customers.

For more information or to order

copies of the brochure:

Henrik Kool,

Ericsson Mobile Data Design

[email protected]

Tel: +46 31 703 63 72

New brochure explains Mobitex

White paper favors Mobitex

The PA Consulting report´s chief conclusions:} Mobitex is more reliable than GSM data for both in-vehicle and

hand-portable solutions when comparing the success rates of

completed calls, both static and in two raoming areas.

} RAM’s coverage matches and exceeds the areas indicated on

its published coverage maps. Both Vodaphone and Cellnet maps

are overstated for data coverage.

} Data transactions can be completed faster over the Mobitex

network than over GSM networks. This applies to short trans-

actions and one-way data transfers up to 3 kbytes – in other

words, the bulk of RAM’s data traffic.

} GSM is more expensive than Mobitex for frequent short-data

transfer, equivalent to more than 25 data messages per work-

ing day. This applies when the average is less than 650 bytes

per transaction – again, tha bulk of RAM’s data traffic.

} The GSM Short Message Service (SMS) is noticeably slower

than the Mobitex service for all kinds of interactive transaction

and data transfer.


MDM5 98-03-01 18.54 Sida 7

■ The volume of data carried over

RAM’s packet-switched wireless data

network in the U.K. has reached an all-time

high – one million packets a day, recorded at

the end of 1997. John Jarvis, CEO of RAM

Mobile Data, comments, “The increase in

RAM’s data traffic clearly demonstrates the

dramatic acceleration in the use of the net-

work. The first million-packet day came just

eleven months after our first 500,000-packet

day.”

The increase in volume is mainly attribut-

able to an increase in the customer base,

although existing customers have also been

increasing their transmissions.

The millionth packet was transmitted by

South Bank Recovery, one of London’s

largest breakdown and recovery garages, to

help a stranded motorist in East London.

South Bank’s application is typical of the vital

information that RAM handles every day.

Within seconds of receiving the distress

message from the motorist organisation

Green Flag via the Mobitex network, South

Bank dispatched the motorist’s location, plus

detailed information on the nature of the

mechanical problem, via the network to a

recovery vehicle equipped with a mobile

data terminal.

South Bank recovery uses the Turbo

Dispatch job dispatch system from Motor

Trade Software. The system enables the

company to dispatch the appropriate vehicle

– with the right manpower and the right parts

– to the right location much more quickly

than voice radio.

Colin Baily, South Bank’s Managing

Director, says, “This system is totally accu-

rate. When we used voice radio, drivers had

to take down job information in longhand

and would often misunderstand or misspell

details. We have got dispatch time down to

between two and three seconds – a saving

of four hours per day per dispatcher – in

addition to substantial time savings for each

motorist.”


Frances Crossley, RAM Mobile Data Ltd

[email protected]

Tel: +44 181 990 9090

■ The municipal transportation author-

ity in Paris, RATP, recently decided to

extend the use of their private Mobitex net-

work by installing combined GPS and

Mobitex technology in 2,000 of its buses.

Attacks on drivers and passengers were

becoming increasingly common – a survey

by the transport workers’ union indicated

that the number of incidents had increased

by 37% in only one year. The problem was

of such magnitude that bus drivers went on

strike in protest and a task force was organ-

ised by the Ministry

of Transportation.

With the new

technology, a driver

can report his or

her position within

ten meters of accu-

racy as an incident

occurs. The system

has been tested on

two bus lines for

two years, resulting

in a considerable

improvement of safe-

ty. The time it takes for the police to arrive

on the scene has been cut in half, from 18

minutes to between 9 and 14 minutes,

depending on the time of day.

Previously, the only way to locate the

vehicle was through radio communication,

which was not always possible if the driver

himself was being attacked. With the new

Mobitex/GPS terminal, the driver can feel

more secure on the job, knowing that help

will arrive quickly when necessary. The sys-

tem also acts as a deterrent for rowdy pas-

sengers; on the line between La Défense

and Sartrouville, one of the lines included in

the test, violent incidents have decreased

by 28%.

All 2,000 buses will be equipped with the

system by the year 2000 at a cost of FFR

25,000-30,000 per vehicle. Additional appli-

cation areas may also be developed. On

the La Défense–Sartrouville bus line, a

video monitoring system has been added.

In case of an alarm, low-resolution pictures

are transferred via Mobitex directly to PC

Sécurité, so that the gravity of the situation

can be assessed.

The positioning system can also be used

to keep the drivers informed as to whether

they are behind or ahead of schedule in

relation to the buses before and after them.

One bus line in Paris is already equipped

with this service.


Per-Erik Sundsström,


[email protected]

Tel: +46 31 703 60 00

Safer buses in Paris with Mobitex

South Bank recovery helps set record at RAM

mobile data news


MDM5 98-03-01 18.54 Sida 8

■ A rather creative use of the Mobitex

network was discovered recently,

namely, in a Swedish television game show.

The program, broadcast on TV 4, is called

“On the Run” and is based on two teams,

each with two contestants, travelling

around Sweden for a week by bus, train,

taxi or plane with a reporter, or “blood-

hound,” hot on their heels. The object of

the game is for each bloodhound to try to

follow his or her team, but he or she can

only “capture” them on Friday night during

the actual broadcast of the program. The

team that is not found is allowed to contin-

ue for one more week and compete with

two new contestants.

Both the escapees and the blood-

hounds have a video camera to record

events during the week, however, only the

bloodhounds have the assistance of a

Global Positioning System in their cars and

can communicate with a central communi-

cations “headquarters” in the TV studio via

the Mobitex network and NMT.

During the program, the studio contacts

the bloodhounds’ cars at regular intervals

via modem on the

Mobitex network. Their

locations are automatical-

ly fed into a mapping sys-

tem developed by Metria,

so that the audience can

see if the bloodhounds

are getting closer to the

contestants. This general-

ly creates quite a bit of

excitement among the

studio audience, espe-

cially during the last ten minutes of the

show as the chase becomes more intense.

Next stop for Mobitex – Hollywood?


Anders Forsberg,

Strix Television

Tel: +46 8 702 10 33

■ Turkey is bustling with activity as

Mobicom, the country’s sole

Mobitex operator, is establishing a firm

foothold after almost nine months of net-

work operation. Mobicom has full net-

work coverage in metropolitan Istanbul

and pilot projects under way in Ankara.

The operator has plans to expand cover-

age throughout the Mediterranean coast

of Turkey, especially in tourist areas, and

will continue to extend coverage as mar-

ket need dictates.

Mobicom has an eye on all potential

mobile data users, but is particularly

active in the point-of-sales field. About

six banks are currently involved in a pilot

project for wireless EFTPOS (electronic

funds transfer point of sale) and off-site

ATMs, which has been successful thus

far. The company also has ongoing proj-

ects in telemetry for automated meter-

reading solutions and wireless alarm

monitoring.

Mobicom Mobile Data Communica-

tion Services, Inc. was established one

year ago and is Turkey’s pioneer company

in the wireless data communications

field. The company is a subsidiary of

Çukurova Holding, a prominent telecom-

munications company with shareholdings

in leading GSM (Turkcell), VSAT, cable TV

and Internet service provider companies

in Turkey.

Mobicom will also be hosting the next

MOA meeting starting on April 27 in

Istanbul.


Yusef Özkan,

Mobicom Mobile Services

[email protected]

Tel: +90 212 232 6242

■ RAM Mobile Data in Belgium

recently received a provisional license

from the Institut Luxembourgeois de

Telecommunications to begin operating a

mobile data network in Luxembourg.

Two base stations will be made opera-

tional in Luxembourg. This makes it possi-

ble to transmit and receive messages

throughout all of Benelux via RAM’s

Mobitex network.

“This expansion of the network marks a

significant improvement of our service, par-

ticularly for Belgian customers with activities

in Luxembourg,” comments John Barton,

general manager of RAM Mobile Data.


Wouter Van Roost,

RAM Mobile Data Belgium

[email protected]

Tel: +32 2 715 25 71

Benelux roaming now possible

Mobitex “on the run”


Pho

to:

Mik

ael S

ilkeb

erg,

TV

4

Mobicom in Turkey on the rise

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 9

■ ST Mobile Data of Singapore

announces SunMail, its next-gener-

ation wireless data messaging service,

which has been on the market since

September last year.

In addition to providing wireless solu-

tions for professionals in field sales and

service, SunMail enables business profes-

sionals on the move to send and receive e-

mails, faxes and pages when outside the

office, without having to use conventional

phone lines. SunMail is designed for use

with the latest Hewlett-Packard palmtop

PCs, and supports both the Lotus Notes

and the Microsoft Exchange messaging

systems for e-mail and intranet applica-

tions. The WIN wireless modem from

Research in Motion is used with the solu-

tion.

“With ST Mobile Data’s Mobitex mes-

saging service, mobile professionals no

longer have to call or travel back to the

office to retrieve vital information. This easy

and convenient access to information will

significantly improve productivity, efficiency

and customer service and will undoubted-

ly give the user a competitive advantage,”

relates Tay Kiong Hong, general manager

and vice president of ST Mobile Data.

ST Mobile Data’s office solutions are tai-

lored to meet the mobile requirements of

people at all levels of an organisation. For

senior management executives, SunMail

with the HP hand-held PC allows them to

keep in touch via wireless e-mail while out

of the office. They can schedule appoint-

ments and make use of a host of features

to manage the office while on the road.

SunMail is only sold in Singapore at

present, but will soon be available in

Indonesia. ST Mobile Data is evaluating

further distribution possibilities through

both direct and indirect channels. Its inter-

nal sales force and systems integrators are

selling to corporate customers in the verti-

cal market segment, while dealers are dis-

tributing the product to end-users in the

horizontal market segment. ST Mobile Data

is also working with other companies in

terms of further software and product

development.


Sharon Tan, Product Marketing Engineer

ST Mobile Data Pte. Ltd.

Tel: +65 486 8865

E-mail: [email protected]

■ Two wireless communications pack-

ages are now available through RAM

in the Netherlands. Wireless Mobius Office

for Microsoft Exchange is a communica-

tions software package that provides a

transparent mobile connection for Microsoft

Exchange mail and agenda users over the

Mobitex network. E-mail and agenda infor-

mation are synchronised on-line, so the

users can work as though they were direct-

ly on the corporate LAN.

The OuterWeb software allows users to

access the corporate intranet and the World

Wide Web wirelessly over Mobitex from any

location. Information can both be retrieved

from and entered into the intranet, enabling

quick response to customer inquiries and

simplifying administrative procedures. All

that is needed in addition to the OuterWeb

software is a standard Web browser, such

as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet

Explorer.

Both Mobius Office for Microsoft

Exchange and OuterWeb can be used

simultaneously, thus providing users with a

complete mobile office: transparent access

to e-mail and agenda, corporate information

on the intranet, and to the Internet.

Intelligent compression and caching tech-

niques render a high level of performance

and installation is easy, according to RAM.

The software products are developed by

Quinsy, a Mobitex solutions developer in the

Netherlands, and are principally sold by

RAM to their customers within the country.

Current plans include broadening the mar-

ket to include Belgium and the U.K., howev-

er, there is still a lot of ground to cover in the

Netherlands.

RAM and Quinsy are looking to establish

more sales channels. One or two distribu-

tors may be in place by this spring. A poten-

tial distributor is also a current user of the

software. Twice Communication Manage-

ment is a computer consulting firm with 40

employees, whose consultants use Outer-

Web when out on assignment.

The first line of customer support will be

provided by the distributor or sales channel,

with Quinsy supplementing with a second

line of support if needed.


Henrik-Jan Bekedam,

RAM Mobile Data Netherlands

[email protected]

Tel: +31 30 239 0318

SunMail out of the shade

Dutch software gaining ground


mobile data news

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 10

■The trucking industry is generally

viewed as a major culprit when it

comes to pollution of the environment.

However, in Uppsala, Sweden, forwarding

company SkandiTransport is last year’s

recipient of the municipality’s environmen-

tal award and is also the first in Sweden to

use GPS to locate vehicles on a street level.

Pooling cargo and using alternative fuels

(ten of the company’s trucks run on rape-

seed oil) have been the mainstay in

SkandiTransport’s environmental policy, but

a major step was taken this winter when a

new GPS-based dispatch system over the

Mobitex network was installed. All of the

trucks are equipped with a GPS transmitter,

which allows the dispatcher to constantly

monitor the location of the vehicles and

direct them in a more rational manner. In

the reverse, the system can be used for

navigation, even though that was not what

the system was initially intended to do.

The system consists of four compo-

nents: the GPS program MobiWin with

digital maps developed by B&M Systems of

Uppsala, the Tuf 2000 dispatch program,

radio communication and a digital PBX. All

40 vehicles – ranging in size from compact

cars to 18-ton trucks – have communica-

tion radios, and some have test installations

of computer displays and faxes. Voice

messages are transmitted via radio, since it

is both reliable and significantly cheaper

than GSM and SMS. However, messages

can also be sent over the Mobitex network

when necessary.

SkandiTransport has about 2,000 cus-

tomers and handles between 750 and 1,500

assignments per day. Three-quarters of all

orders are same-day deliveries. “In the

past, we used to dispatch the truck we

thought was closest,” explains Hans Owe

Pettersson, co-owner of the company, “but

once our fleet exceeded 20 vehicles, we

started losing track of them and had to do

something about it.”

Now dispatchers can type in or place

the cursor on the customer’s address and

MobiWin immediately indicates the best-

positioned vehicle. The dispatchers receive

a warning signal if a vehicle strays from the

proper route or enters a restricted or secu-

rity area, and they can also lock vehicles

and turn off motors from the dispatch cen-

tre – measures sometimes required by cus-

tomers transporting valuable goods.

In addition, the GPS registers travel

speeds and other factors in the database in

real time, thereby preventing possible dis-

putes with the customer.

With the new system, the dispatcher can

zoom in on a map down to street level with

a precision of 0-20 meters, depending on

the number of satellites in the area at the

time. Previously, the average distance

between the customer and the closest

vehicle was about 15 kilometres, but that

distance has been reduced to 200 meters

with GPS. The environmental advantages

of this system are obvious, resulting in an

improved image for both the company and

the industry as a whole.

This can reduce driving distances by an

incredible 450,000 kilometres per year, if

not more, according to Hans Owe

Pettersson. This is equivalent to about 15-

20 percent of the company’s total driving

distance, which means that payback time

for the entire investment of SEK 2 million is

only one year.

Once the system is completely installed,

a customer call will be registered in Tuf

2000 and the address will be indicated in

the MobiWin program, directly prompting

the closest vehicle to appear on the screen

– all while the dispatcher takes the call. An

EDI connection to larger

customers is under con-

sideration and simple

orders can soon be

placed via the Internet.


Karl Rudling,


[email protected]

Tel: +46 31 703 60 00

■ By now, everyone is familiar

with the year-2000 (Y2K) dilem-

ma facing all computer-based opera-

tions at the turn of the century.

Consequently, the question also arises

as to whether Mobitex networks

around the world will experience a

massive disruption on January 1, 2000.

However, fears can be quelled,

since Ericsson has begun verification

of the Mobitex network’s Y2K compli-

ance. This includes all subsystems,

NCC, MHX/MOX, BAS and software in

the current revision of the Mobitex

system releases: R14E, R14N and

NTE.

All problems caused by the millen-

nium shift within the Mobitex network

will be handled in future Correction

Releases. These releases are of

course free of charge for operators

having a Maintenance Contract.

The Y2K issue is treated with great

respect within the whole Ericsson

organisation. Verification of Mobitex

will be handled in accordance with

Ericsson´s procedure and policy.


Folke Bergqvist,

Ericsson Mobile data design

[email protected]

Tel: +46-31 703 60 00

Creating an environmental profile


Year-2000 under control

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 11

T localcouncil areas in Australiahave adopted United Wireless’

Mobitex technology to solve theirparking problems.

Wlloughby (Chastwood) andManly councils have beguninstalling smart parking meters thatare monitored by the council’s com-puter system via United Wireless’Mobitex network.

The “Pay & Display” meters that

the councils are installing are manu-factured by Schlumberger ofGermany and distributed byReinhardt Australia. The meters aremonitored at each council’s centralcomputer, which alerts council staffto problems with the parking meters.Typical problems include jammedcoins and faults with ticket printing.Because problems are reportedimmediately, the council can sendstaff to correct them as they occur.

Street parking worries solved in Australia

Two Australian councils in theSydney area are using wireless

data technology to improveservice to motorists, while

realising substantial cost benefits.


MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 12

The remote monitoring function is crucial inkeeping council costs down. Staff no longerneed to perform routine patrols of metersthat are working properly. They are more effi-ciently deployed going straight to faultymachines.

Reliable monitoring guaranteed

The application software allows audit informa-tion to be gathered remotely and transmittedback to the central computer over the UnitedWireless network. Because Mobitex providestwo-way communications, information canalso be transferred from the central computerto the base stations, where it is forwarded byradio to the modem inside the parking meter.This allows tariff and time changes to be maderemotely.

Wireless data transmission was an attractiveoption for both councils, since they did nothave to tear up streets to install communica-tions cables. The battery and solar poweredSchlumberger equipment installed byReinhardt also makes connection to mainspower unnecessary.

The body of each parking meter is vandalproof. Wireless monitoring also provides anextra level of security, since an alarm can besent indicating that a break-in attempt hasoccurred, as well as where it occurred. Theradio-equipped parking meters thus deliverbetter value for money, as well as reducingmaintenance costs for the councils.

The councils chose the United Wireless net-work because Mobitex provides the highly reli-able communications channel that is required.In addition, Mobitex technology is ideally suit-ed to a remote monitoring application, whichtypically involves small but sometimes frequentdata exchanges. Charging in a Mobitex net-work is based on the amount of data sent, notthe connection time. Normally, there is also nofixed call set-up charge.

The same Mobitex-based parking applica-tions now being installed in Australia are alsoused in the U.K. by a number of county coun-cils and several London boroughs.

Major cost benefits

United Wireless CEO Joseph Gatto is confi-dent that the councils will immediately notice

the cost benefits of the new system. “BothManly and Chatswood Councils have massiveparking logistics to administer. At a time whencosts are rising and rates and revenues arepegged, they needed a data transmission sys-tem for these new parking meters that woulddeliver accurate billing, while keeping overheadcosts at a minimum. Our network can deliverthese benefits because clients only pay for theamount of data transmitted, not permanentline rental costs,” says Gatto.

“We have excellent base station capacity inthese areas,” adds Gatto. “The United Wirelessnetwork can easily service the area now beinginstalled, as well as the many others that will beadded in the future.”

Gatto believes that council employees arealso benefiting from lower stress levels nowthat the new meters have been installed. “Thereis nothing worse than dealing with an iratemotorist who has received a parking ticketwhen the meter was out of service. Now coun-cil staff can accurately check whether or notthe meter was in service at the time and verifythe motorist’s claim with 100-percent confi-dence.”

United Wireless Pty. Limited

United Wireless, together with it´s channelpartners and system integrators, supports awide range of applications for the Australianmarket.

Telemetry is one of the application areas onwhich United Wireless is currently focusing. Inaddition to the parking meter applicationdescribed in the main article, this market seg-ment includes vending machines, automatedmeter reading, security panel monitoring andfire panel monitoring.

Transport is another market segment inwhich United Wireless is stepping up it´s mar-keting efforts. Applications in this segmentinclude automatic vehicle location, global posi-tioning systems, computer-aided dispatch,dynamic scheduling and engine monitoring. ■

:

Sarah Grier United Wireless Pty LimitedTel: +61 2 9292 7000Fax: +61 2 9292 7070E-mail: [email protected]

The meters are

monitored at each

council´s central

computer, which

alerts council staff

to problems.


MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 13

Wireless intranetimproves field service


T , salesand service organisations must beable to represent and maintain the

products of many manufacturers, as well astheir own. Maintaining a high level of mis-sion-critical information for real-time distri-bution has become a challenge for all organ-isations with remote field personnel.Information management is a major invest-ment regardless of the technology used.

Honeywell’s goal was to make better use ofinformation by making it accessible from thefield. Honeywell IAC executives knew if anyof their technicians needed information,there was a strong probability that someoneamong the company’s 57,500-plus employeesalready had it. The problem was packagingthe information and making it available tothe mobile technicians when and where theyneeded it.

“We needed to figure out how to leverageour size and wealth of information and use itproductively,” says Ed Campbell, nationalservice manager at Honeywell IAC. “Wewanted to collectively share with the field theknowledge and information that we havebuilt over the decades that Honeywell hasbeen in business.

“To really be effective, our company can’tbe fixing the same bug 40 million times,”Campbell continues. “We’ve got to fix itonce and then distribute that information ina usable format to all of our organisationswherever they might be located.”

Honeywell’s initiative was to leverageInternet and wireless data communicationstechnology, to share the information andmake it available to the field, whenever andwherever service was needed.

Tomorrow’s technology todayEarly in the process, Honeywell executivesrealised that IAC’s new solution had to be com-patible with Internet technology. An Internet-based field service management solution couldaccess Honeywell’s corporate intranet, where allthe information resides, thus leveraging theexisting infrastructure and minimising imple-mentation time.

The largest obstacle was that the informationon the corporate intranet was largely propri-etary. Honeywell executives clearly understoodsecurity issues and certainly did not want to cre-ate opportunities for outsiders to have access toits intranet. Therefore, security was placed highon its list of priorities for the new solution.

Despite security issues, Honeywell executivesremained convinced that building the solutionaround Internet/intranet technology was theright call. The underlying goal was to enableservice technicians to work better, faster andmore profitably. Honeywell’s intranet provides amassive storehouse of easily accessible informa-tion, and it was believed that the Internet wouldbe the dominant data communications mediumfor the foreseeable future – which made thissolution Campbell’s choice for expediting thecorporate information flow.

The IAC challenge

After extensive research, it was determined thata combination of components would be neededto meet Honeywell’s business requirements.Campbell identified five forward-thinking com-panies who were the most experienced in theirrespective areas: service management, Internetaccess and wireless data communications. Thefive companies Honeywell selected were:} Scopus Technology, Inc., a leading provider

As the leading sup-

plier of industrial

control systems

and components,

Honeywell Inc.’s

North American

field operations for

Industrial Auto-

mation and Control

(IAC) needed to

develop a wireless

data communica-

tions solution to

manage its service

business, as well as

manage information

distribution among

its North American

mobile workforce.

Mobitex and wire-

less intranet

access provided

important compo-

nents of the solu-

tion.

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 14


of enterprise customer care solutionsthat offers service management appli-cations specifically tailored to therequirements of vertical industry sec-tors. The Scopus suite of customercare applications addressed all ofHoneywell’s service managementneeds.} Inference/Case-Based Reasoning,a leading provider of self-service andknowledge management solutionsthat help people solve problems on-line, offering a powerful searchengine to locate and present theinformation to technicians in thefield.}RAM Mobile Data currently cov-ers 93 percent of the urban businesspopulation throughout the UnitedStates. RAM’s Strategic Networkcombines the Mobitex-based wire-less network with links to comple-mentary networks including circuit-switched cellular, satellite, and dial-up technologies to enable customersto cover 100 percent of their mobileusers in the U.S.}GoAmerica CommunicationsCorporation, a nationwide wirelessInternet and intranet serviceprovider, offers wireless Internet andintranet access, as well as E-mail Plusand value added information servic-es, in an efficient, secure and eco-nomical environment.} Itronix, is a supplier of networkedmobile computing systems designedspecifically for field service require-ments. Itronix has more than adecade of success in combiningmobile information systems with reli-able communications networks.

The five companies were invited toHoneywell IAC’s Phoenix headquar-ters to integrate their products andservices into a single solution anddemonstrate the working prototypesolution in a real-life situation. Toprove their product’s adaptability,they were to do so within a 24-hourperiod. Before that could happen,these selected companies first had tocreate a script– a “day-in-the-life”scenario for a service technician that

reflected real-world conditions.A hypothetical service technician

using a laptop computer had to wire-lessly download work assignmentsand research whatever problems heor she would face. The technicianalso had to be able to wirelesslyreceive emergency pages from cus-tomers, order parts, document theentire process down to the invoiceand, in general, respond to a cus-tomers’ needs, if possible, even whileparked at the side of the road.

“We wanted to leverage technolo-gy to move information wirelessly informs that people would understand,without necessarily having to be anexpert on the topic,” Campbellexplains. “To do that, you have tounderstand the environments thesetechnicians live in. We also needed aservice application on a familiar plat-form with intuitive functionality. Iwanted to train the technicians onceto use their tools, and then be able toadd or take away applications as nec-essary”

Ted Germann, RAM’s West CoastRegion Sales Manager, laid much ofthe groundwork for Honeywell IAC’sproof-of-concept project whichbegan in December of 1996.

A partnership is born

After 24 hours, it was time to demon-strate the solution the five expertscreated. Vice presidents fromHoneywell IAC and all five partici-pating companies attended thedemonstration.

“We brought five vendors togeth-er with their separate products, andan entire solution came together in24 hours,” says Campbell. “Whenthey saw what their products andservices could do as a single solution,it was magnificent. They quicklybecame partners, and all we had todo was stay out of their way and lettheir expertise lead the way.

“Another result was that theHoneywell vice presidents could nowsee and understand the difficultiesour field technicians experienced by

listening to our “day-in-the-life” sce-nario. It almost put them in the carwith the technician and showed whattechnology can do to actually helpsolve a customer’s problem,” notesCampbell.

From concept to rollout

It took Honeywell only one year tomove from that original proof-of-concept session to the wireless datasolution’s actual rollout. This is anextremely short time for a organisa-tion of Honeywell’s size and a pow-erful testimonial to Honeywell’svision. About 150 units weredeployed by the end of 1997, with theremaining 600 scheduled to go on-line in North America early in 1998.

While it is still too early to quanti-fy results, Honeywell predictsimprovements of 10 to 15 percent inproductivity, and as much as 20 per-cent in responsiveness by field techni-cians. As a result, the companyexpects to realise up to a 5-percentimprovement in customer satisfac-tion.

Although Honeywell originallyapproached this project from a field-service point of view, they see enor-mous potential in other areas of thecompany, such as the field salesorganisation and engineering, whereremote access to the corporateintranet is needed.”Take our salesorganisation, for example,” saysCampbell. “The information thatwe’re able to build and track in thedatabase can be used to better man-age accounts and provide time tofind new business. Also, engineeringis waiting to get real-time serviceinformation from the field, because itwill allow them to spot recurringproblems or trends and address themlong before they become serious.”

“It can ripple down through theentire organisation,” Campbell con-cludes. “Although this solution devel-opment was prompted by the needfor remote use by mobile field work-ers, the entire organisation will bene-fit – it has tremendous potential.” ■

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 15


F ’ ,the best thing about Ericsson’snew Virtual Office software

is that it works. Unlike less capablemobile office products, EVO doesnot require constant fiddling withmodem parameters and dial-up con-nection settings. It installs easily andworks every time.

The same software also supportsvirtually all carrier services. In addi-tion to Mobitex, these include cellu-lar services such as GSM, D-AMPSand CDPD, as well as conventionalwireline and LAN connections. Aportable PC user can even hot swapcommunications devices. EVO doesnot miss a beat, even if it’s in themiddle of a lengthy file transfer.

These features alone should make

EVO a hit among portable PC userswho need wireless data communica-tions capability. Yet, amazingly, thefeatures that make EVO a superiorchoice for dial-up clients are notamong its core features. EVO’s truestrength lies in networking and itsability to transform a portable PCinto a remote node on an office net-work.

Wireless link to BackOffice

Ericsson’s new Virtual Office soft-ware is a unique product that pro-vides a wireless link to MicrosoftBackOffice. EVO is not a conven-tional communications softwarepackage. Rather, it is a type ofsoftware called middleware thatseamlessly integrates with Windows

EVO takes your LAN

on the roadEricsson’s new Virtual Office soft-

ware is in a class of its own. Not

be confused with less capable

mobile office products, EVO is a

network software product that

provides full remote node capa-

bilities for mobile users. EVO’s

unique strength is that is

seamlessly integrates with

the Microsoft Windows oper-

ating system to provide a

wireless link to BackOffice.

Ericsson’s Virtual Office

software provides the

foundation for a new

generation of wirelessly

enabled, messaging-

based workgroup

applications.


MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 16

95 and Windows NT to wirelessly extend the office net-work to remote users. All resources on the LAN, the cor-porate network and even the Internet are available fromthe field.

The core components of EVO are a Communica-tions Agent that is highly optimized for wireless com-munications and a number of service providers for E-mail, file transfer, notifications and Web access. Foreach of the services, components are installed on boththe client and server computers that work together withthe EVO Communications Agent to support standardWindows functions across all of the carrier servicessupported by EVO.

Perhaps the most important feature of EVO for cor-porate customers is strong security. EVO extends thefull Windows NT security model across the wirelessnetwork and supports authentication and all WindowsNT access rights on both Windows NT and Windows95 clients. In addition, DES encryption can be used forall data exchanges. For the most sensitive applications,it is also possible to configure EVO in such a way thata firewall is created between remote users and the inter-nal network in the office.

The EVO Communications Agent

EVO’s unique capabilities derive from the EVOCommunications Agent. Beneath the EVO Communi-cations Agent, there are network drivers developed byEricsson for Mobitex, GSM and other wireless net-works.

The EVO Communications Agent is highly opti-mized for wireless communications. It acts as a genericcommunication agent that manages and optimizeslinks over different access carriers.

It is important to note that the EVO Communica-tions Agent is installed on both the client and serversides. This means that in applications which use a pro-tocol such as TCP/IP, EVO can substitute to a moreefficient protocol, such as MTP (Mobitex TransportProtocol), without affecting the application. The EVOCommunications Agent can also use a technique calledspoofing to eliminate unnecessary data transfers whenexcessively “chatty” protocols, such as HTTP, are used.

Internally, the EVO Communications Agents can usethese and other methods to dramatically improve per-formance. Data is compressed to maximize through-put. The Communications Agent uses it´s knowledge ofwireless carrier services to adjust packet sizes and otherparameters to match the characteristics of the medium.Pre-fetching is used as is appropriate for the particularservice provider. The result is that EVO delivers signif-icantly better performance when compared with con-ventional communications software running over adial-up connection.

Designed for Microsoft ExchangeEVO installs software components on the client and serv-er sides that provide services for messaging, file transfer,web browsing and notification. From the user’s perspec-tive, these functions work as expected using standardapplications, such as Microsoft Outlook, the WindowsExplorer and Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.Under the hood, however, EVO provides a wireless com-munications link and implements a special notificationservice to keep users informed about important events onthe server.

Most important among these service providers, and thekey to EVO’s groupware capabilities, is the EVO MailProvider, which fully supports MAPI (MessagingApplication Programming Interface), an industry stan-dard protocol specification for messaging systems. EVO isdesigned to work with Microsoft Exchange Server and ishighly optimized for Exchange’s MAPI clients, whichinclude Microsoft Outlook, Exchange Client andSchedule+.

The EVO Mail Provider works with the EVONotification provider to provide a powerful wireless e-mail platform that enhances Exchange’s remote mailcapabilities, Users are able to select a number of settingsand notification options.

Users may thus request notification each time a mes-sage is received in the office, automatically download onlymessage headers, selectively download messages less thana certain size or download only messages but not attach-ments. The possible combinations are almost unlimited,making it easy to configure an E-mail client that is optimalfor wireless users.

Wireless Office solutions

Apart from the EVO Progress Monitor, which installs asa tray icon on the Windows Taskbar, Ericsson’s VirtualOffice software has no user interface. It is true middlewarethat is designed to be completely transparent to users. Forremote access and wireless E-mail, it offers features andperformance equal or better than any other product. Yet,the real power of EVO lies in its role as wireless middle-ware that extends the Microsoft BackOffice environment.

“…Perhaps the most

important feature of EVO

for corporate customers

is strong security…”

“…Perhaps the most

important feature of EVO

for corporate customers

is strong security…”


MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 17

Ericsson’s Virtual Office is the wireless software link to Microsoft

BackOffice. It provides a Communications Agent optimized for

wireless carrier services, which include Mobitex, GSM, D-AMPS

and CDPD, as well as conventional wireline and LAN connec-

tions. It wirelessly extends standard applications, such as

Microsoft Outlook,Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer with

Mail, File Transfer, Web and Notification service providers.

EVO adds significant value for all mobile users who need

access to the office network from the field. It´s major benefits are:} Security Encryption and Windows NT authentication are sup-

ported end-to-end.} Performance. EVO is cost effective because it uses com-

pression, session management and other techniques to maxi-

mize throughput.} The notification service ensures that users can stay in touch

at all times.

Initially, EVO will be marketed in the U.S.,

and Europe. Ericsson intends to market

the product primarily through

Microsoft Solution Partners to

corporate customers. Wireless

penetration and portable computer

use will be important factors in deter-

mining local marketing plans.


The Microsoft Office applications aredesigned to support workgroups andworkflow methods. In the typicaloffice setting, this means that Worddocuments can be circulated amongworkgroup members who may entertheir comments as annotations orthat Excel spreadsheets representingtravel expenses or sales reports canbe automatically forwarded to theproper recipient. Documents canalso be updated dynamically, so thata report containing weekly or dailysales figures is produced only oncebut updated regularly.

With EVO, workgroups andworkflow methods are immediatelyextended to the field. A mobile userwho opens the weekly sales reporton his or her portable PC will viewthe latest figures available on theserver in the office. A workgroupapplication for scheduling meetingswill automatically check the calen-

dars of mobile users. With EVO, theremote user is a full member of theworkgroup, and applications designedto work over an office network willbe wirelessly extended to the fieldwithout modification.

Because EVO is a new product,few users have discovered thesecapabilities. Messaging-based work-group applications, however, aregrowing in importance, and manyorganisations are discovering howeasy it is to create custom solutionsusing the objects and tools includedin Microsoft Office. For corporatecustomers, therefore, EVO providesa platform for the future. As work-flow methods and workgroup appli-cations begin to change the waypeople work, EVO will be ready towirelessly extend these applicationsto the field.

Wireless web browsing is anothercapability likely to find widespreaduse. This capability typically worksthrough a proxy server provided bythe Windows NT Server in theoffice. Mobile users can browse thecompany´s intranet or external websites via the proxy server. Althoughbrowsing the web at the relativelyslow speeds supported by wirelessnetworks can be frustrating, thereare many sites that are optimizedfor wireless devices, and perform-ance is acceptable, particularly ifgraphics are not displayed.Designers of intranets can also

optimise pages for mobile users.

Today’s and tomorrow’s needs

The EVO software has been exten-sively tested over the past year. Oneof the most important beta test siteswas Wireless Telecom Inc. (see sepa-rate article), which is now usingEVO as the foundation for it´sMobileLogic Network Service forMicrosoft Exchange. In the U.S.,both Ericsson and RAM MobileData have built up a marketingorganisation for the product.

EVO 1.0 is now ready to ship.However, Ericsson is already hard atwork on the next version. Amongmajor enhancements planned for thenext version is a Windows CE client.Future versions will also include sup-port for Windows 98 and new ver-sions of Microsoft Exchange andOutlook. Finally, wireless carrier serv-ices, and particularly cellular services,continue to evolve, making it neces-sary to plan new versions of EVO asnetwork operators improve their serv-ices. EVO is a compelling product formobile users for both today’s andtomorrow’s needs. The powerful fea-tures that this product delivers allow itto grow with the needs and expecta-tions of users as workflow methodsand workgroup applications enablenew ways of working. Ericsson’sVirtual Office provides an excitingpreview of the future of wireless datacommunications. ■

EVO at a glance

▼ The EVO Progress Monitor whichinstalls as a tray icon on the Windows Task-bar is the primary user interface.

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 18

Wireless Telecom Inc. has developed a business model to promote broad-scale adoption of wireless data technology and make it easy for com-

panies to wirelessly enable their mobile workforces. The compa-ny’s MobileLogic Network Services is a turn-key solution that

allows companies to wirelessly extend existing informationsystems to mobile workers on a subscription basis. This

unique and highly successful business model makesWTI one of the leaders in the mobile data industry.

Everythingincluded with

MobileLogic

I the key toacceptance of wireless datasolutions on a broad scale?

Wireless Telecom Inc. (WTI), aU.S. company based in Denver,Colorado, thinks so. Today, thecompany, which was founded in1993, is entirely focused on it´sMobileLogic Network Service,which wirelessly extends existinginformation systems to mobileworkers on a subscription basis.

It wasn’t always this way. Fromthe beginning, WTI set out to bethe leading provider of mobile datanetworking products and services.The product portfolio included car-rier service providers, hardware andsoftware from virtually every com-pany in the industry. WTI still sellsthese products, but withMobileLogic, the company’s busi-ness has changed.

“Since the launch of theMobileLogic Network Servicenearly three years ago, it hasbecome virtually the sole focus of

our business, as we have realisedthe value for customers of out-sourcing and turn-key solutions,”relates vice president of marketingDan Bergal. With MobileLogic,WTI is overcoming the significantbarriers to broad corporate adop-tion and deployment of mobiledata technologies.

Responding to trends

The reasons behind WTI’s consoli-dation of it´s business aroundMobileLogic can be found in anumber of market trends. Mostimportant is the increase in thenumber of mobile workers, esti-mated at about 30 percent of theU.S. workforce and expected toincrease by an additional 50 per-cent by 2001.

This is not simply the result of amore mobile lifestyle. Driving thistrend is a move to more customer-focused operations. Companies areattempting to improve service andincrease competitiveness by closing

offices and moving employees outinto the field and closer to the cus-tomer.

Suppliers of wireless data hard-ware and software, as well as net-work operators, have been quick torespond to these trends. They havedeveloped increasingly sophisticat-ed products, including inexpensivePC Card wireless modems and spe-cialised wireless middleware, anddramatically increased networkcoverage. Yet, as WTI experiencedin the marketing of its broad prod-uct portfolio, these developmentswere not sufficient.

Breaking the barrier

The conclusion drawn by WTI onthe basis of this experience is that amore general trend in the IT indus-try, outsourcing. presents a barrierto the broad-scale adoption ofwireless data. Although the poten-tial benefits of wireless data tech-nology for a mobile workforce areindisputable, companies that are



MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 19


already outsourcing their IT opera-tions are not likely to be interestedin wireless data products that onlyprovide pieces of a total solution.In effect, the company realised thatit must package it´s broad portfolioof products in a total solution, if itwas to be successful.

The reasons for outsourcing arecompelling. As information tech-nology continues to advance at anever-more rapid pace, it becomesmore complex and requires greaterinvestment. The IT professionalsneeded to implement and maintaininformation systems are also inshort supply in most companies.

Complexity, cost and resourceissues are thus driving companiesto outsource IT operations toexternal suppliers who have theskills and resources required tokeep pace with technology and canspread costs over a larger user base.In developing it´s business strategy,

WTI realised that these argumentsapply to an even greater degree inthe adoption of wireless data tech-nology.

Turn-key solution

With the MobileLogic NetworkServices, WTI addresses all of theseissues and provides a completeturn-key solution. The packageincludes radio modems for mobileusers, client software, a middlewaregateway to the corporate LAN,wireless airtime, network manage-ment and operation services, tech-nical support and network services.For each of these components, anumber of options is available,reflecting WTI’s broad productportfolio and experience in wirelessdata solutions.

The LAN gateway supports bothMicrosoft and IBM-based infor-mation systems. The MobileLogicExchange package, which is basedon Ericsson’s Virtual Office soft-ware, a wireless link to WindowsNT Server and access to theMicrosoft BackOffice environment,including Microsoft Exchange. TheMobileLogic Emulator packagesupports wireless connection toIBM AS/400 and mainframe envi-ronments. Recently, a new optioncalled MobileLogic for the Webwas added to support access to cor-porate intranets and the web.

The MobileLogic package alsoincludes wireless network subscrip-tions and airtime. WTI is a value-added reseller for RAM MobileData and AT&T wireless services.Customers using RAM MobileData’s Mobitex service or AT&TWireless’ cellular services thus canbenefit from the volume discountsthat WTI is able to obtain. WTI isalso a retailer of Ericsson radiomodems, but in keeping with WTI’spolicy of offering a complete rangeof products, customers are able tochoose from a wide selection ofmodems.

Perhaps most important fromthe customer’s standpoint is thatthe MobileLogic Network Serviceis available for a fixed monthly costthat includes network administra-tion and management services, aswell as technical support. There arethus no hidden costs. Everythingneeded to immediately begin usinga standard or custom application inthe field is included in the package.

The value of outsourcing

Based on it́ s MobileLogic NetworkService, Wireless Telecom Inc. pro-vides a compelling analysis of thevalue of outsourcing, compared with in-house development.Computing the costs for ten mobileusers and using very conservativeestimates for hardware and soft-

Outsource ProviderCorporate LAN Mobile User

InternetFrame Relay

Dial-UpISDN

IBM hostserver

NTserver

HarwareSoftware

Network accessAdministration

SupportSecurity

MobitexCDPD

Cellular/DialupPCS

Other

▼ An outsourced mobile data network could be structured as shown below:

OutsourceMobile

Gateway

WirelineNetwork

MobileWirelessNetwork

▲ The number of mobile workers in theU.S. are expected to increase by 50% bythe year 2001.

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 20

ware costs, the company estimatesthat the total monthly cost for anin-house implementation is nearlyfour times greater than outsourcingover a 24-month period. WithMobileLogic, the average monthlycost per user is about USD 100.

Reducing and controlling operat-ing costs is not the only value ofoutsourcing. By outsourcing, com-panies can avoid capital expendi-tures, since the server and gatewayhardware is owned and operated byWTI, while smaller items, such asmodems and software, are leased orrented, allowing them to be bookedas operating expenses. This allowscompanies to devote moreresources to their core business,thus improving the company’s focus.

An additional value of outsourcingis that it reduces technologicalrisks. The pace of technical devel-opment is rapid. In the area ofwireless data and mobile comput-

ing, in particular, product life cyclesare measured in months, while theInternet and network services con-tinue to develop at warp speed.Keeping up with this frenetic paceand being able to test drive newtechnology as it appears can be amajor competitive advantage.

Successful model

The model on which WTI basesit´s business is very successful. Thelist of companies and organisa-tions using MobileLogic NetworkServices already numbers severaldozen and is growing continually.Many of these customers are smalland medium-sized companies thatwould undoubtedly have beenreluctant to deploy a wireless datasolution for their mobile workforcewithout the help of a company likeWireless Telecom Inc.

It is important to realise that thisrepresents incremental growth of

the wireless data industry that oth-erwise probably would not haveoccurred and that the MobileLogicturn-key solution is the crucial ele-ment in this new growth. Largecompanies generally have wirelessdata strategies and will be able todevote the necessary resources todeploying wireless data solutionsas their business requirements dic-tate. Broad-scale adoption, howev-er, is best promoted by applying amodel similar to that developed byWTI.

As a business concept, MobileLogic Network Services thereforehas important consequences forother markets outside NorthAmerica. Both Mobitex networkoperators and wireless hardwareand software vendors should care-fully consider the lessons learnedby Wireless Telecom Inc. and studythe successful model that the com-pany has developed. ■

Financial analysts know a good investment when they seeone. It is hardly surprising, then, that several major invest-ment firms have decided to outsource their wireless datanetwork operations to WTI. In the technology-intensive finan-cial services industry, these smart firms have recognisedthat MobileLogic Network Services help them to overcomethe key cost, complexity and resource issues and to extendaccess to financial information systems to their growingmobile workforce.

Two places at once

“Investment firms particularly appreciate being able toreceive real-time stock quotes from any location,” notes DonBergal, vice president of marketing at WTI. “For financial ana-lysts and investment advisors in the field, it’s like being ableto be in two places at one time. They have access to all theinformation that they would have on the trading floor, while atthe same time being able to meet face-to-face withinvestors. That’s a big competitive advantage.”

Most of WTI’s customers in the financial services sectorhave opted for the MobileLogic Exchange package. Thisproduct is based on Ericsson’s Virtual Office (EVO) software,which provides a wireless link to Microsoft Exchange andBackOffice. Of particular importance to remote usersaccessing sensitive financial information is that theMobileLogic Exchange service supports strong DES encryp-tion and extends the Windows NT security and authentica-

tion functions to theremote user.With the MobileLogicExchange service,remote users are able to run standard Microsoft Office appli-cations, as well as custom Office solutions, on their portablePCs with full access to the corporate network. Financial ana-lysts working in the field, for example, can easily accessExcel spreadsheets stored on the office network.

Wireless BackOffice link

“Although wireless e-mail is still the most important applica-tion for many mobile professionals, we are finding that manypeople in the financial services industry and other who offerprofessional services directly to customers are using theMobileLogic Exchange service in very innovative ways,”relates Don Bergal.

The secret behind this is that the EVO wireless middle-ware is truly transparent to the user. By wirelessly extendingthe standard Microsoft Office platform it also provides afoundation for many custom solutions, such as those used inthe financial services industry.

Finally, the sophistication of this new wireless data serviceis able to meet the most exacting demands of mobile pro-fessional. “The MobileLogic Exchange service is generatingthe greatest sales and is the product for which we see thegreatest potential,” concludes Don Bergal.

Wireless financial services


MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 21

W ⅞ Readersof this magazine know,of course, that Mobitex

is the world’s leading technology forwireless narrowband packet-switched data communication. Forthe telecommunications industry asa whole, however, Mobitex could belikened to a solution looking for aproblem. There is little awareness ofMobitex or the many applicationsfor which it is an ideal solution.

David Neale, president ofCanadian Mobitex operator Canteland newly elected Chairman of theMobitex Operators Association(MOA), intends to change this.“Making Mobitex a visible stan-dard worldwide is the top priority.Right now, there is a window ofopportunity that simply cannot bemissed,” says Mr. Neale.

The new chairman takes over anorganisation that is stronger thanever. MOA membership has nowrisen to 14 public operators. Lastyear, the MOA members approveda proposal to employ a permanentExecutive Director. Jack Barse, who

has been a director of BellSouthMobile Data for many years,assumed this post on January 1,1998. In addition, John Nicholson,who is employed by RAM MobileData UK, became SecretaryGeneral of MOA on the same date.

Unified message

“One of my first tasks will be to for-mulate a unified message for all theMOA members that we will broad-cast throughout the industry,” saysexecutive director Jack Barse. Usingthis message, Mr. Barse intends topromote Mobitex by actively par-ticipating in industry events anddeveloping a large contact network,two activities for which previousMOA executives have had littletime.

“MOA has always had excitingmeetings, with great ideas and lotsof enthusiasm,” notes David Neale.“MOA members, who are busyexecutives in their own companies,had little time to pursue MOA busi-ness. Now, with Jack working fulltime as executive director, activity

When timing meets opportunity

In conjunction with theMobitex Operators

Association’s ExecutiveCommittee meeting held

in Gothenburg, Swedenon January 19 to 21, 1997,

Mobile Data Magazinetalked to newly elected

Chairman David Nealeand newly appointed

Executive Director JackBarse. Judging from theiroptimism and enthusiasm,

1998 is going to be agreat year for Mobitex.


S T R A T E G Y

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 22

will remain at a high level even between meet-ings.”

In formulating a unified message for MOA,the executive director and the executive com-mittee will have to take into consideration thatMOA is an organisation with two levels.“Basically, we are an umbrella organisation,”explains David Neale. “For operators, it isextremely important that MOA strongly sup-ports their activities at the local level and thatthe operator community is able to provide aforum for discussion of common issues. But intrying to increase MOA’s visibility and promotegreater awareness in the industry of Mobitextechnology, we must make sure that we are act-ing in the interests of all our members.”

Window of opportunity

A unified Mobitex message is an appropriateresponse to current market trends, notes DavidNeale. “We are seeing many applications beingdeveloped and deployed across countries. Anumber of customers want to invest in Mobitexon a multinational basis. Unisys and FederalExpress are two recent examples of customerswho have signed on, but there are a number ofothers now in the final stages of a decisionprocess.”

The attractiveness of common applicationsacross countries is obvious to multinationalsand one of Mobitex’ key strengths. In fact,Mobitex has virtually no competition as theinternational standard for wireless data com-munications, but many potential customers donot become aware of this fact until they beginevaluating the alternatives. Pursuing new inter-national accounts and acting as a coordinatorand contact person for existing internationalaccounts will therefore be key tasks for JackBarse.

“There is a relatively widespread perceptionin the market that new technologies, such astwo-way paging and PCS are the answer,” saysDavid Neale. “Most companies in need of awireless data solution, however, quickly discov-er that those technologies simply cannot deliver.Mobitex can provide the solution, but naturally,potential customers should become aware ofMobitex technology at a much earlier stage.”

There can be no doubt that other technolo-gies are emerging for wireless messaging andpacket-switched data communication that willpose a significant challenge to Mobitex. DavidNeale, however, believes that there is a window

of opportunity for Mobitex. New operatorsbacking these emerging technologies have expe-rienced significant start-up difficulties.Marketing has been weak and take-up pooramong potential users. The new MOA chair-man intends to take advantage of this opportu-nity by significantly increasing the visibility ofMobitex.

New forms of collaboration

Internally, MOA is preparing for some majorchanges in its routines. Much of the organisa-tion's work, particularly administration of theMobitex Interface Specification (MIS), doesnot need to be conducted in face-to-face meet-ings. The specification evolves through contri-butions made by many groups, and changes arenormally approved by mutual assent among theoperators. The Internet provides an ideal forumfor the many parties involved.

“We want to dramatically change the way wecollaborate,” acknowledges Jack Barse. “Verysoon, we will be putting up a MOA web site formembers, as well as customers, industry part-ners, the press and other interested parties. Formembers, we intend to create a secure intranetthat will allow us to conduct much of our offi-cial business electronically through various dis-cussion groups.”

MOA chairman David Neale confirms thatthis is a top priority for the new executive direc-tor, and he anticipates that MOA meetings inthe future will focus more strongly on marketingand strategic issues where the participating top-level executives from the operating companiesare able to make their greatest contributions.

Matching this consolidation of focus are therecent changes in Ericsson’s mobile data organ-isation. “There is a greater alignment of objec-tives that benefits both parties,” says DavidNeale. “MOA and Ericsson work together toachieve a common goal. Over the next 24months, we must make every effort to consoli-date Mobitex’ position in the market.”

The third phase

Although David Neale left the CanadianMobitex operator to take another position for anumber of years during the early 1990s, he is aveteran in the Mobitex community and wasactive in MOA from the start. “In the earlydays, there were only four MOA members,”relates David Neale. “Canada had the firstMobitex network outside the Nordic region,


John Nicholson (left),Secretary General ofMOA, David Neale(middle), newly electedChairman of MOA, andJack Barse (right),Executive Director ofMOA, seem to believethat there are no limits to how far they can takeMobitex technology.

MDM5 98-03-01 18.55 Sida 23

and we joined with Sweden, Finlandand Norway to form the originalorganisation.”

The second phase began whenRAM Mobile Data entered the mar-ket by announcing Mobitex net-works in the U.S. and the U.K. Thesewere quickly followed by new net-works in other European countries,as well as in Asia and Australia. Thisexpansive phase of Mobitex devel-opment was characterised by manyoperators with similar businessplans. Telecommunications compa-nies dominated among these newoperators, many of who expectedgrowth in mobile data to parallelmobile telephony. Market realities,however, forced many operators torevise their business strategies and torefocus on vertical markets withslower growth.

Today, David Neale sees a thirdphase in Mobitex development.“New companies are entering themarket that are not telcos,” he notes.“We are also seeing new capitalspending among established opera-tors. The Mobitex operators arefinding new areas of opportunity insuch areas of point-of-sale. At thesame time, the Internet is creatingnew media for which wireless accessis a must.”

New breed of operators

Taken together, these new opportu-nities will significantly expand themarket for Mobitex. Increasingly,however, operators are learning toidentify the market segments andapplications that are profitable forboth the operator and the customer.Several of the new Mobitex net-works announced recently will be

built for a single application and asingle customer. New Mobitex oper-ators include companies whose pri-mary business is banking or trans-portation.

“Multiple operators in a singlecountry who are not competing forthe same customers may be a salientfeature of this new phase,” notesDavid Neale. “This will be possiblebecause, unlike during the previousphase of Mobitex development,these new operators do not have sim-ilar business plans. They are target-ing completely different end-usergroups.”

Private or semi-private networkswill thus be the hallmark of the newera. This change not only signifies anew attitude on the part of opera-tors. It also reflects significantadvances in Mobitex technologywith respect to both improving func-tionality and reducing infrastructurecosts. In any application where adedicated radio network is justifiableon economic grounds, Mobitexoffers significant advantages forboth end-users and operators.

Internet opportunities

David Neale is very optimistic aboutInternet related developments. Notonly is the Internet helping MOA tobecome a virtual organisation inwhich all members are constantlysharing ideas and experience. TheInternet is creating many businessopportunities for Mobitex opera-tors.

In fact, David Neale envisionsMobitex networks as subnets of theInternet. Currently there are techni-cal discussions in progress withinMOA concerning IP addressing for

Mobitex networks. He emphasisesthat this would in no way entailreplacing MAN numbers by IPaddresses. Rather, the basic ideabehind the proposal is to view eachMobitex network as a domain andto devise a scheme for mapping IPaddresses to MAN numbers.

When such a scheme is imple-mented, all Mobitex subscriberscould receive Internet addresses.Several Mobitex operators havealready implemented Internet gate-ways, and many more are planningto do so. With the growing popular-ity of push technology on theInternet, Mobitex is emerging as anideal medium for distribution ofinformation to mobile users.

Lucky year for Mobitex

The optimism and enthusiasm thatthe new MOA chairman and hisexecutive director feel is unmistak-able. David Neale and Jack Barseseem to believe that there are no lim-its to how far they can take Mobitextechnology. When asked to speculateon developments over the comingyear, both hint at major new net-work enhancements, new markets inall parts of the world and major newcustomers. “Of course,” they intonein unison, “any announcement atthis point would be premature.”

“Let’s just say that 1998 will be avery lucky year for Mobitex,” saysDavid Neale with a grin. “And bymy definition, luck is when timingmeets opportunity.” The opportuni-ties over the coming months are sig-nificant, and if timing is a questionof execution, MOA’s new leaders arecertainly ready and eager to beginthe work ahead. ■


▼ MOA members visiting Telecom Scandinavia ´98 in Gothenburg, Sweden

MDM5 98-03-01 18.56 Sida 24

Ever since I started using

the first early betas of

Ericsson’s Virtual Office

software nearly a year ago, I knew

it was possible. With the product

now shipping, I was taking the

plunge. It was time to go pure vir-

tual.

I looked nostalgically at the

desk in my home office where the

computer used to stand. The solid

oak desk, which had been passed

down in the family to my mother,

and now to me, was strangely

bare. It was a magnificent piece of

furniture, and I suddenly realised

that I had never liked seeing a

computer on it. Standing at the

front window of the apartment

overlooking the lake, it was a

place for reflection and writing.

“Mother!” I thought, stricken

with panic. Her birthday was on

Monday, and there had been too

many e-mails and too few phone

calls of late, not to mention visits.

There was just time to write a

card before leaving on my skiing

trip. Sitting at the big oak desk

and penning the words by hand

felt strange, but somehow com-

forting.

Going virtual and not having a

real office was slightly terrifying.

Joining several colleagues with

whom I had built up a loose net-

work over the years, I had now

taken the next step by setting up a

virtual company. I no longer had

a real office, but rather a user

account on a server somewhere

out in cyberspace.

Of course, I had to admit that I

was constantly on the road and

worked increasingly seldom from

my home office. Still, the prospect

of relying solely on the various

portable computing and wireless

communications devices that I

carry on my travels was somewhat

unsettling. Was this any way to

run a business?

The account manager for the

WTI MobileLogic services that

we were using assured me that it

was. My stories would reach the

editor, and I would receive new

assignments. The travel expenses

that I logged while on the road

would automatically update the

spreadsheets that the accountant

kept on my behalf. With the latest

workflow methods and wireless

data communications, the busi-

ness would run itself.

As I drove up into the moun-

tains, I pondered the meaning of

the words “pure virtual.” My pro-

grammer friends had explained to

me that this referred to a function

that was declared but never

defined in the base class. An

instance of the function was only

defined when it was needed in a

derived class; otherwise it didn’t

exist.

Perhaps it was the rarified

mountain air, but I suddenly felt

that this described my life. As a

roaming reporter, I was used to

performing a function in what

often seemed an arbitrary con-

text. Yet, did I exist for family and

friends, who had virtually no idea

of what I really did for a living?

I felt an almost overpowering

urge to stop the car and log on.

The Mobitex operator claimed

that coverage now rivalled cellular

in this remote mountain area, and

my fingers were itching to attempt

a connection. Nevertheless, I

drove on. I had resolved that this

weekend would be “not here/not

now” in terms of availability,

instead of the anywhere/anytime

life I normally led. If I hurried,

my friend and I could get in a few

runs on the slopes before it got

dark.

In the lodge after the final run,

I felt completely invigorated.

Sitting close to my friend with a

cup of hot chocolate warming

my hands, I realised that

this was real. I needed

a break, and if going

virtual was the way to

find quality time, it was

worth it. Tonight, I was

feeling neither wired nor

wireless. I wanted to get

unwired. Or was it unwound?

Whatever. I didn’t really

care. ■


W A N D A W A V E ´ S E T H E R E A L T A L E S

Pure vir tual

MDM5 98-03-01 18.56 Sida 25

Links.Mobitex information:

http://www.ericsson.se/mobitexhttp://www.uw.com.au/2mobitex.html

Mobitex e-mail addresses at Ericsson:Marketing and sales: [email protected]

Customer support: [email protected]

Ericsson links:Ericsson mobile systems: http:www.ericsson.com

Ericsson mobile data design: http:www.ericsson.se/mobitex

Mobitex operators & associations featured in this issue:United wireless, Australia: http://www.uw.com.au

RAM, The Netherlands: http://www.ram.nlRAM, UK: http://www.ram.co.ukRAM, USA: http://www.ram.com

St Mobile Data, Singapore: http://www.stmd.st.com.sg

Companies and Organisations featured in this issue:Mobilelogic: http://www.wiretel.comHonywell: http://www.honeywell.com

Manly counci: http://www.manly.nsw.gov.auWillougby council: http://www.slnsw.gov.au/plb/libs/willoughby

TV4: http://www.tv4.se

Mobitex information:http://www.ericsson.se/mobitex

http://www.uw.com.au/2mobitex.html

Mobitex e-mail addresses at Ericsson:Marketing and sales: [email protected]

Customer support: [email protected]

Ericsson links:Ericsson mobile systems: http:www.ericsson.com

Ericsson mobile data design: http:www.ericsson.se/mobitex

Mobitex operators & associations featured in this issue:United wireless, Australia: http://www.uw.com.au

RAM, The Netherlands: http://www.ram.nlRAM, UK: http://www.ram.co.ukRAM, USA: http://www.ram.com

St Mobile Data, Singapore: http://www.stmd.st.com.sg

Companies and Organisations featured in this issue:Mobilelogic: http://www.wiretel.comHonywell: http://www.honeywell.com

Manly counci: http://www.manly.nsw.gov.auWillougby council: http://www.slnsw.gov.au/plb/libs/willoughby

TV4: http://www.tv4.se

Ericsson Mobile Data Design ABS:t Sigfridsgatan 89S-412 66 GöteborgSwedenphone: +46 31 703 60 00fax: +46 31 703 60 33

Ericsson Mobile Data Design ABS:t Sigfridsgatan 89S-412 66 GöteborgSwedenphone: +46 31 703 60 00fax: +46 31 703 60 33

MDM5 98-03-01 18.52 Sida 2