Companies find the use of wireless technologies are helping them
keep their costs of business down in this age of economic uncertainty.

With the state of the economy on the top of everyone’s mind, whatare enterprises doing to cope? One answer is in the use of wirelesstechnologies, especially using navigation and telematics coupled withbusiness tools.

Technology companies such as TeleNav and WebTech Wireless have seena jump in revenue because of enterprise interest in usinglocation-based services (LBS) and telematics services. WebTech, whichhas headquarters in Vancouver, Canada, reported a 36% increase inyear-over-year revenue through July. Investor-financed TeleNav has beenrecognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the SiliconValley.

Motorola’s Mobile Computing unit, the former Symbol computingcompany, has had great success with its GPS and wireless wide-areanetworking (WWAN) computers for vehicles. Motorola recently announced anew fixed-mount mobile computer, the VC6096, aimed at improving driverproductivity, reducing costs and improving customer service fortransportation and logistics companies.

ON-TIME DELIVERY
One of the companies looking at Motorola’s new computer is UPS, long anadvocate of using WWAN-enabled computers to help its delivery personnelmeet their schedules and provide good customer service. UPS is gettingready for the next generation of its delivery information access device(DIAD), which likely will use Qualcomm’s Gobi software defined radiochips.

Motorola recently surveyed more than 255 IT and telecom executivesfrom transportation and trucking companies and found that enterprisesusing GPS for the field workers saw a labor savings of about 54 minutesa day. That time savings amounted to a dollar savings of $5,484 peremployee annually. The survey found that 90% of field workers haddifficulty finding new stops during the course of a month.

Other benefits of using GPS, according to the study, included a 53%reduction in travel downtime, 26% increase in employee accountability,and a 7% reduction in overtime. But the main benefit of using LBS was areduction in fuel consumption because of an average reduction in weeklytravel of 231.2 miles, accounting for $51,582 annual fuel savings peremployee.

Sheldon Safir, director of Motorola’s Mobile Computing unit, saidthe new mobile computer gives enterprises the ability to tap into adelivery vehicle’s mechanics to provide real-time information about howthe vehicle is being operated. Dispatchers can use the computer, whichhas voice capabilities as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, to give adviceto drivers. The VC6096 also can tap into the truck’s cargo, forinstance a refrigerated trailer, to keep track of the shipment.

Dhanani: Productivity gains and fuel savings matter especially in this economy.

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY
TeleNav is perhaps best known for its consumer-focused TeleNav GPSNavigator used on mobile phones on 15 networks globally. It also has anenterprise service called TeleNav Track. Sal Dhanani, co-founder andsenior marketing director, said more than 9,000 enterprises and otherorganizations are using TeleNav Track.

The company has seen a “substantial” increase in interest in theproduct in recent months, prompted initially by the rise in fuelprices, he said. TeleNav Track includes GPS-enabled tracking andnavigation, plus time sheets and wireless forms. TeleNav recentlyannounced that Intermec will use TeleNav Track in a new rugged mobilecomputer, the CN3, for enterprises.

Dhanani said TeleNav Track makes it possible for enterprisedispatchers to keep track of their mobile workers, the status of jobs,assign new jobs based on employee locations and run reports on fleetperformance. Workers also don’t have to go into an office to clock inand out. The information is available online through the TeleNavEnterprise Service, which can be used to integrate third-partyapplications for CRM, payroll, accounting and dispatch.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about costs and making businessmore efficient,” Dhanani said. “Instead of doing five jobs in one day,they might be able to do six.”

He said customers also have seen a quick return on investment usingTrack, typically in the range of 4 to 6 weeks. TeleNav has numerouscase studies to back up those claims, including the trucking companyC.R. England, the Carilion Patient Transport Services company, andWestern Towing.

Home Depot is using TeleNav Track to monitor its home inspectionline of business, which uses outside contractors. Home Depot has seen a300% increase in productivity by using wireless forms on BlackBerrydevices, Dhanani said.

WebTech’s system architecture, showing principal components, connectivity and data flow.

WebTech Wireless recently partnered with Canada’s RogersCommunications, NetTech Logistics and Foster Park Baskett Insurance onan LBS/fleet telematics services offering called NelTrak. The offeringincludes an oilfield services package for fleet management in the oiland gas industry.

WebTech’s products include hardware and software running overcellular and satellite networks and the company has business in 41countries.

Harald Fritz, senior director of ASP sales and services, said thecompany’s customers realize an ROI “relatively quickly,” with thereturn depending on the size of the company and its implementation. TheROI on the hard costs, which might be 6 to 12 months, doesn’t includeintangibles like improving customer service and being more responsiveto customer needs. Some enterprises with a green initiative also see abenefit by reducing their carbon footprints.

Companies also sometimes use LBS data, especially on vehicle usage,to determine what kinds of equipment they need, he said. Maybe asmaller vehicle can be used. Companies also might decide it is wiser topay for a driver to spend the night in a motel than in the cab of atruck that is kept running all night for warmth.

Other benefits include the ability to alert drivers or dispatchersif the truck brakes are applied too hard, or to meet governmentregulations for oilfield workers that require lone workers to check inperiodically.

Fritz said the economic downturn could mean that some companiesmight put off buying an LBS/telematics solution but the savings inefficiencies, improved maintenance and lower fuel bills quickly add up.

“At the end of the day,” he said, “it comes down to drivingoperating efficiencies, having real-time visibility to your assets andhow they are being used.”

Killeen: UPS has 100,000 DIADs in use daily around the world.

UPS is sold on mobile computing tied to WWAN connectivity, accordingto John Killeen, director of global network systems. The company hasabout 100,000 DIADs in use globally on a daily basis so its deliverypeople can route packages most efficiently, have recipients signthey’ve received the package and then have that information recordedimmediately for customers.

UPS expects the next generation of its DIAD, the DIAD 5, will startdeploying in 2010 and will be capable of using either a GSM/GPRS orCDMA network. In the United States, UPS currently uses Verizon Wirelessand Sprint for CDMA and AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile for GPRS. Thecurrent DIAD is only single mode, though, so UPS has to chose a CDMA orGPRS model depending the home area and the coverage. Qualcomm’s Gobichips will allow the DIADs to use either technology anywhere in theworld.

The DIADs also have an infrared scanner, 802.11, Bluetooth and GPS.Bluetooth was put in the machines so delivery people could printoutinformation on a customer or UPS Bluetooth-enabled printer.

Each generation of the DIAD gets better, helping UPS see moreefficiencies and better customer care, Killeen said. Two decades ago,UPS used paper forms and clipboards to record deliveries, with theinformation being hand-entered into a database back at the office. It’sfirst DIAD went into use in 1990 and soon after that UPS was workingwith cellular operators.

“Customers want information almost immediately,” said Killeen. “Tobe competitive, we have to introduce the capabilities our customersdemand. They now want it at a moment’s notice. The DIAD makes thatpossible automatically.”