In the Promodas project the mBusiness platform developed by Celesta mBusiness Ltd updated to support the 2.5/3G networks and the latest mobile devices. During the project two different mWorkforce trials have been carried out in the GPRS network (Orange; Mobistar): one for the field service sector (ELYO SA) and the other for the health care industry (Oulu University Hospital). The objective of the project was to create the tools and procedures for a large scale; international mBusiness deployment.
The project has succeeded well and the co-operation between the Finnish; French and Belgian project members has been smooth. The application designs succeed for both the field service and health care sectors and the take up results are excellent. The network concept is working well; and the main targets; i.e. the security aspects and the usability features of the applications have been met.
Service engineer sector:
- The French ELYO SA is a leading expert in energy-related services solutions. The company designs and operates long-term; overall and performance-based solutions for the management of energy; fluids and the related services. The company has been using mWorkforce solutions and mobile devices in their field service operations since 1998. In large organisations such as ELYO; the opportunities offered by the Promodas project and the new 2.5/3G networks have a significant effect on the daily routines and the quality of customer service. Today over 2;000 service engineers utilise the latest technology in their work; in the future; the estimated number of users is expected to rise up to 3;500. The service engineers in the field are directly linked to ELYOs back-end system (SURF). With the mWorkforce solution the service calls and the overall customer service are organised more efficiently. The technologies and solutions of the Promodas project have lifted ELYO to a totally new level of customer service.
Medical e-service sector:
- Promodas project showed that it is pocket-sized teleradiology provides practical tools for on-call neurosurgery and radiology. It also showed potential in neurology where acute stroke treatment requires more accurate and rapid diagnosis.
The quality of images is good enough for on-call time diagnoses. In the patient material seen during the project; no medically important diagnoses were missed.
The bottleneck of the present system is still the speed and reliability of wireless network although GPRS is an improvement over GSM in terms of connection initiation times. Also there were some reliability problems on the device used. The systems are so close to a commercial product that users recommend to take the final steps to make it a full product.
The PROMODAS take up action has been successful. The device will stay inproduction use for neurosurgery consultations in Oulu University Hospital as anticipated in project plan. The future technical improvements will facilitate commercialisation of the system as the major technical bottlenecks are solved. Current PDA-devices are already mature enough for real commercial products. When next generation devices and three-times-faster EDGE networks are available; the real break-through can be anticipated.
As a part of spreading the awareness about the possibilities and advantages of mWorkforce applications the Promodas project and its results will be introduced at numerous events and forums to important business actors and leaders.
GPRS Network security:
- As an enhancement of the GSM technology; GPRS networks are a real step towards full 3G services. In the Promodas project the GPRS networks provided by Orange (France) and Mobistar (Belgium) offer a new way of communicating quickly; securely and cost-effectively. Thanks to the packet-based transmission; the data communications costs remain significantly lower than with 2G networks. Because the invoicing is based on the amount of transferred data; and not on how long the connection is active; the connection can be always on without any extra costs. For companies considering mobilising their processes; this "always on mobility" is undoubtedly one important factor. Continuous and instant access between the companys private networks and the professionals in the field is a valuable competitive edge.
Mobile users accessing corporate data from the field might seem a bit risky. However; this is not the case. Equipped with built-in security (terminal authentication and an encrypted air interface algorithm); GPRS ensures a high level of control and data security. When combined with the APN (Access Point Name) feature; any organisation; can make sure that only authorised users can access their corporate data. With GPRS sharing data and images becomes more efficient and dynamic than ever before.
For many organisations; however; the decreased costs are probably the dealmaker. Since the GPRS network is always active and the mobile devices are constantly connected to the companys internal network; transmitting data using so-called IP Push services becomes a lot more reliable and cost-effective than using GSM networks and the more expensive and limited-length SMS messages. With all this new technology and available features; mobile solutions are quickly establishing their position as the new universal way of working.
