BT has announced it is making its 5G plans available for all customers.

BT was one of the first UK mobile networks to launch 5G in November 2019, when it was exclusively available for those on its BT Halo converged plan. BT’s 5G service is available in 50 of the UK’s busiest places, and on a range of the latest 5G smartphones.

BT’s 5G service provides a more reliable experience and higher speeds in crowded areas at peak times – allowing customers to video call, stream and download without interruption at train stations, concerts and stadiums. 

Those opting for BT’s 5G service can enjoy it in busy parts of London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Hull, Sunderland, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Bristol and Wakefield and Wolverhampton. It provides a superfast connection in high footfall locations including London’s Waterloo and Euston stations, Cardiff Central station, Glasgow’s Bath Street and St Enoch Square, Belfast’s Kingspan Stadium, and Coventry’s Council House and Cathedral ruins.

Pete Oliver, Managing Director of Marketing, BT Consumer, said: “Our BT Halo customers have been some of the first to enjoy 5G in the UK, and we’re now giving all of our customers the chance to get superfast, reliable mobile connections even in the busiest places. Whether you’re watching HD TV or sport on the go, or FaceTiming your family on the way home, 5G makes a huge difference to everyday experiences and opens up even more exciting new experiences like seamless augmented reality and HD mobile gaming.”

In the first part of a new series of features in which we will explore the latest exclusive field service research findings, we explore how KPIs are changing in a world of servitization, IoT and changing demographics... 

The shifting sands of Field Service Management

In a new series of articles by Field Service News Research, the current use of Key Performance Indicators used by field service organisations is assessed and the current trends within this area are identified. 

The independent research carried out by Field Service News in late 2019 sits agains a backdrop of a rapidly changing world in which field service organisations operate with major industrial trends such as servitization taking hold and new emergent technologies such as the Internet of Things and Augmented Reality shifting the way field service organisations are approaching the mission critical role of field service. 

The Average State of Play in Field Service Today

In the first part of this research analysis we discuss the critical headline finding of the research, which was that the data revealed that the most common practice amongst field service companies is to measure between 4 and 7 KPIs. However, the data does also show that we are beginning to see a trend in this number increasing. 

The research also reveals that move from field service being a cost-centre within an organisation to becoming a profit centre is now almost entirely complete, and this too has, of course, had an impact on the metrics field service companies are actively measuring.

The fact that just under a fifth of companies now identify a KPI based around profit as the most critical KPI they measure for their business is another signifier of this.

However, perhaps more crucially, we see the shift in importance from field service KPIs being purely operationally focussed to being far more focused on delivering customer satisfaction. Indeed, the shift towards a customer-centric approach to service is undoubtedly beginning to take hold.

Click here to check out part one of this research analysis in our dedicated Field Service News Research channel 

 Want to know more? If you want to find out more about this research there is a full research report available for field service subscribers. Simply click the link below to access the full report now! 

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Water Consultancy and Contractor implements StaySafe to ensure lone worker safety.

Hydrosave has introduced StaySafe to ensure the safety of their lone workers. Hydrosave, an operational consultant and specialist contractor within the water industry, regularly sends fieldworkers out to locations across the UK to provide leak detection, water audits or sewerage surveys. With these lone workers at risk of numerous hazards, such as working below ground or in highways, Hydrosave has rolled out StaySafe to employees across the UK.

Fieldworkers can now use the StaySafe mobile app to log their arrival and safe departure from each external visit with the simple press of a button. This app is linked to a secure cloud-based monitoring Hub which accurately locates lone workers on a map and provides managers with real-time updates on their movements. If an employee fails to check in safely during a lone working session, has an accident or raises an alert, managers will be able to locate them and get help straight away. 

Previously Hydrosave relied on a buddy system for their staff, with employees pairing up and taking it in turns to check in with each other to ensure that their ‘buddy’ was safe. However, managers noticed that there were often discrepancies and they had very little control over how employees were carrying out the buddy system. This process also involved a high amount of paperwork which was inconvenient and time consuming for all employees. 

To overcome these issues, Hydrosave began looking for a lone working system that was more automated, easy-to-use and could be managed by head office. The company also wanted a method that was flexible and simple to operate and implement. Hydrosave trialed other company’s solutions but none of them proved to be as simple or effective as StaySafe’s solution.

After a very successful trial with StaySafe over a one month period, Hydrosave’s fieldworkers found that there was a significant reduction in  time spent trying to get hold of colleagues. It has significantly reduced the need to fill out time-consuming paperwork every day. Managers now have insight into where their workers are at any given time and can ensure that their staff are safe throughout their working day. Hydrosave employees feel much safer knowing that if an incident were to occur, managers are aware of their whereabouts and assistance can be sent directly to their location. 

Connell Shannaghan, Project Manager at Hydrosave comments, “Our overall experience with StaySafe has been really positive. We were initially looking for a safety solution that could help minimise the amount of paperwork management we were having to do. We also wanted something that was simple to implement and easy to use. StaySafe has fit into the company structure very well, it's much easier to supervise and track staff and our employees enjoy the simplicity of the app.”

Don Cameron, CEO at StaySafe, adds: “Latest HSE statistics show that the risk of an employee being injured from a fall or using machinery is present in nearly 50% of workplaces in the UK. Lone workers are particularly vulnerable if an accident occurs as there is no one to raise the alarm. We are proud to offer a lone working solution that helps keep employees safe whilst working in dangerous areas.”

RuggON rugged tablets are delivered with simpler and easier mobility management for professionals working in all industries...

RuggON the leading manufacturer of rugged solutions announced that its Android 9-based and octa-core powered flagship rugged tablet SOL PA501 is now SOTI MobiControl certified. Empowered by SOTI’s enterprise mobility management (EMM) technology, the next-generation tablet is ideally suited for 24/7 on-duty mobile workers, as they often need to deploy multiple devices (handhelds/tablets/laptops) during their mission. 

SOTI MobiControl is a powerful platform that enables IT admins to fast and securely deploy multiple devices and manage apps and content with no need to worry about device downtime. Seeing this advantage, RuggON decided to work with SOTI to provide its mobile workers with IP65-certified and MobiControl-ready solutions that are qualified not only for harsh environments but also for easy, secured, and centralized mobility management.        

“Mobility management has become extremely critical when it comes to the smoothness of mission execution.” RuggON product manager H.-C. Lee said, “Together with SOTI MobiControl’s Device Feature Control function, SOL PA501 further ensures industrial field workers can securely transfer critical data such as biometric characteristics or inventory lists to remote data centers at designated time or venue using the tablet’s complete communication technologies.”

“SOTI, the world's most trusted provider of mobile and IoT device management solutions, welcomes RuggON as a SOTI Solution Certified Partner. In conjunction with a network of high performing hardware providers, ISV partners and resellers, customers across a wide range of sectors now have access to business-critical mobility solutions that offer end-to-end mobility management integration. RuggON delivers on SOTI’s mission which ensures we are working with the best partners in markets aligned with our local business strategy,” said Mustafa Ebadi, Chief Operating Officer, SOTI.” 

                 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RUGGON CLICK HERE

Authentication platform Veridium launches its proprietary facial recognition technology, vFace.

Face enables facial recognition on all mobile devices with a front facing camera (2MP or above), meaning older or less expensive devices without biometric sensor technology built in can be converted into robust security solutions available to all. The software is available as part of the VeridiumID authenticator application on Android or iOS, as well as for businesses to integrate into their existing apps via an SDK, and will soon be available for Windows desktop authentication.

Additionally, Veridium has developed innovative patented behavioural biometrics, which gather data from a device’s motion sensors in order to analyse particular patterns of behaviour unique to the user. This could be the way you use your phone, use an application, or use a biometric, complimented by the device’s location or time of day – providing an additional layer of security in the most seamless fashion. Veridium’s behavioural software can also uniquely be used in conjunction with a device’s native biometrics, as well as use workflows from other applications to inform and improve fraud detection.

John Spencer, Chief Product Revenue Officer of Veridium said: “We are very excited to be launching vFace, our facial recognition software, which complements our existing digital fingerprint technologies on VeridiumID - our robust authentication platform. vFace allows advanced security solutions to be implemented on any smartphone with a front camera – replacing expensive equipment with a frictionless and convenient app. Businesses implementing biometric authentication such as vFace will see increased security, without the associated costs from substantial password administration and data breaches.”


“We are also delighted to offer our unique behavioural biometrics capabilities, which we believe signal a new era in cybersecurity. In the event a malicious actor steals someone’s device and attempts to impersonate their biometrics, they will have an extremely difficult time trying to replicate the genuine user’s unique mannerisms. By unlocking the power of behavioural biometrics, Veridium can help businesses penetrate the final frontier in security in a way that is both transparent and seamless for the end-user,” he concluded.

Video telematics provider also unveiled the UK’s most dangerous roads

Lytx^®, a provider of machine vision and artificial intelligence-based video telematics, analytics, productivity and safety solutions for commercial, public sector and services fleets, has revealed the top fleet risky driving trends in the U.K.

Lytx's database contains more than 120 billion miles of driving data from more than one million commercial drivers worldwide, capturing over 64 million risky driving events globally each year.

According to data for the UK, the top five observed riskiest behaviours for fleet drivers are:

1. Improper following distance
2. Late response
3. Mobile phone use
4. Driving without a seatbelt
5. Failure to keep an out*

*Defined as failure to maintain proper space around the vehicle so that drivers have ‘‘an out’’ or escape route should the unexpected occur.

Lytx found these behaviours are directly related to potential collisions, proving that the elimination of habitual risky driving behaviours can have an immediate and lasting effect on the frequency and severity of collisions and near collisions a fleet experiences.

For example, a driver who follows the vehicle in front of them too closely – this being the most prevalent risky driving behaviour – is approximately 40% more likely to have a collision in the next 90 days than a driver who ensures proper following distance.

Similarly, a driver who demonstrates late response to a potential hazard is 80% more likely to have a collision within 90 days than a driver who responds within a proper time frame.

Lytx’s research also unveiled some of the U.K.’s riskiest roads, where incidents caused by dangerous driving are most likely to occur. These include:

1. Dartford Crossing on the M25 (Pictured).
2. Junction of the A45 and A46 near Coventry.
   
   

“The best way to eliminate risk in your fleet is to combine proven video telematics with driver coaching, as shown by the impressive improvements our clients across the UK continue to experience,” stated Damian Penney, vice president and general manager for Lytx Europe. “Video insights paired with personalised coaching helps eliminate risky driving habits and is what makes the difference between a good driver safety programme and a great one.”

We want to empower our clients with more than just data, but actionable and coachable video events that can improve driver safety, reduce claims costs, and help make sure every driver returns home safely,” Penney said. “We are proud of the strong safety results our clients achieve, knowing we’re helping prevent injuries and save lives.”

"We are building the evidence base that proves government must act on air quality," says British Safety Council.

An app developed by King College London as part of the British Safety Council’s Time to Breathe campaign is building on a growing evidence base that proves outdoor workers are exposed to air pollution well above the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended limits. However, huge variance in quality and coverage of air quality measurement across the UK suggests the problem could be greater than previously thought.

The app gathers data based on London’s air quality monitoring stations and gives individual users a read-out of the air pollution they are exposed to at work. The first data release from British Safety Council confirms that outdoor workers are put at more risk than average Londoners. The WHO says that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk and that reducing air pollution could save millions of lives. As well as campaigning to improve ambient air quality the British Safety Council is working on practical solutions to reduce the risks for outdoor workers.

Over six months the Canairy app has gathered data from a sample of Londoners. Outdoor workers were exposed to air pollution averages higher than guidelines for NO2, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and Ozone. Some maximum exposures were nearly two thirds higher than recommended WHO limits. The workers were in two groups, some mostly working in offices and others mostly working outside. Although both groups were exposed to high levels of air pollution, those working outside are exposed to worse pollution than the average Londoner.

The British Safety Council launched Time to Breathe in March 2019. The campaign offers the Canairy app free to give workers and employers information about air pollution exposure as well as providing free advice and guidance. The British Safety Council has called on the government to adopt WHO guidelines in the new Environment Bill. In March 2020 the British Safety Council will be taking the campaign to Manchester to highlight the limitations of air pollution monitoring outside London.

The British Safety Council’s Head of Campaigns Matthew Holder said:

“The first data release confirms that outdoor workers are being exposed to high levels of air pollution with all the health risks that carries. Canairy confirms what we also thought – if you work outside in a city or near a busy road you are putting your health at risk. What is new is that we now have the technology for individual workers to record their exposure. With Canairy and other forms of measurement we are building the evidence base that makes the case for change. As a first step we must urgently adopt the WHO guidelines on PM2.5. But we also need investment in measurement so we can understand who is at risk and how people can limit their exposure to harmful air pollution.”

Number of Devices set to reach 2.2 million by 2023.

According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the market for lone worker protection solutions and services in Europe and North America is forecasted to grow from € 154 million in 2019, to reach € 284 million in 2023.

The number of users of dedicated lone worker safety devices based on GPS and cellular technology on the European market is estimated to grow from 645,000 users in 2019 to reach 1.1 million users at the end of 2023. In North America, the number of such users is estimated to grow from 205,000 in 2019, to reach 380,000 at the end of 2023. In Europe, app-based solutions are estimated to account for around 25 percent of all solutions, while in North America more than 40 percent of the solutions are based on apps for smartphones and tablets. In both regions, app-based solutions are forecasted to account for an increasing share of lone worker safety solutions in the coming years.

The lone worker safety market is led by a handful of specialist companies based in the UK and Canada, where legislation specifically addressing the safety of lone workers has fostered growth. SoloProtect and Send For Help Group have grown to become two of the world’s largest providers of lone worker safety solutions and services. Send For Help Group mainly serves the UK market and operates under the three subsidiaries Peoplesafe, Skyguard and Guardian24. SoloProtect is active in the US, Canada and other parts of Europe in addition to its main UK market. Both SoloProtect and Send For Help Group, also operate their own alarm receiving centre (ARC).

Additional companies with notable market shares in the UK include Lone Worker Solutions, Reliance High-Tech, Orbis Protect and Safe Apps. In Canada, the main providers of safety devices and services for lone workers are Blackline Safety, Tsunami Solutions, Roadpost and Aware360. Blackline Safety is known for developing technologically advanced safety devices for lone workers using both cellular and satellite communications technology.


The market drivers for lone worker safety solutions includes occupational safety regulations, increasing employee insurance costs and higher awareness of risks associated with lone working. The number of individuals working alone is also expected to grow as businesses strive for increased efficiency. A job previously performed by two persons or more is now being done by a single worker. “Traditionally, lone workers exposed to the highest social or environmental risks have been found in industries such as security services, social care, field services and in heavy industries such as oil & gas and construction” says Martin Backman, IoT Analyst at Berg Insight. He adds that companies in other industries are now also starting to see the benefits of these services. “There is now an increasing demand for lone worker safety services from workers in retail, financial services, education and more, which fuels market growth”, concludes Mr. Backman.  

Route-planner start-up sees strong initial investment.

OptimoRoute, the route planner tech startup founded by former Yelp and Google engineers, announced it has raised a $6.5-million Series A round, led by Prelude Ventures. Participating investors include Congruent Ventures and Michael Stoppelman, former SVP of Engineering of Yelp and investor.

OptimoRoute helps companies of all sizes manage their mobile workforces, ranging from delivery to technicians. OptimoRoute’s industry-first platform includes system planning live dispatch, an easy-to-use mobile app for drivers and real-time order tracking for end customers. Users begin to see 10-30% year-over-year growth after introducing the system, while employees get more done in a day while also empowering them to do their jobs better and faster. 

Tackling the underlying 90-year-old “traveling salesperson problem” is one of the most intensely studied problems in optimization, and breakthroughs at OptimoRoute enable it to solve problems that are considered extremely difficult even for academic research engines. OptimoRoute is the first company to offer comprehensive pickup and delivery planning, up to a month in advance.  

Offering a fast user-friendly web interface and a simple pricing model, OptimoRoute has over 800 clients, and is used by everyone from large energy companies to small businesses. While 90% of customers are in the U.S., OptimoRoute is used in over 20 countries globally. Clients include Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline with 300 maintenance technicians; Telgian, which uses OptimoRoute to efficiently plan thousands of fire-safety inspections across U.S. each month, increasing the number of inspections by 70% while keeping the number of technicians the same; and Hardies, a Texas-based grocery delivery company using OptimoRoute, which is now delivering 14% more deliveries without increasing fleet size or working hours, but decreasing mileage by 20%.

“Prelude is excited to help OptimoRoute expand its reach and further develop its offerings for a multitude of mobile workforces,” said Victoria Beasley, principal, Prelude Ventures. “We strongly believe that OptimoRoute is set to have a huge impact on the route optimization market, saving time, money and resources, while also reducing carbon footprint, for their many diverse clients.”

OptimoRoute has spent over 5 years on in-house R&D developing algorithms to help create and organize schedules, while optimizing routes. Everything from the road network and travel times, to how much room is left in the van, to hourly wages, contractor costs, working hours and skills are taken into account to produce routes and schedules that get the largest amount of work done, while keeping driving and waiting times down.

“We are thrilled to be working closely with Prelude Ventures and Congruent Ventures to help us grow and meet demand,” said Marin Šarić, co-founder and CEO of OptimoRoute. “Every business with employees in the field, whether it's drivers doing deliveries or techs doing jobs faces a complex task of deciding who gets to go where, at what time and in what order.”

Šarić added, “Small business owners end up spending a significant part of their working hours organizing and reorganizing people, sometimes many hours per day. In large companies, planning groups and departments are formed with a primary goal of creating a schedule, a process that can take weeks. With OptimoRoute, the planning processes are cut down from hours to minutes every day.”

OptimoRoute's international team of experts and engineers bring decades of experience from Google, Yelp and Facebook. They have won awards at international programming competitions, such as the International Olympiad in Informatics and the International Collegiate Programming Contest, and have published machine learning and information retrieval research in leading publications.

The system is simple and easy to use. Orders are entered or imported to OptimoRoute. Based on the entered constraints like travel durations, driver work times, delivery/service time windows, vehicle load capacity, driver skills and vehicle features the system proposes efficient routes and stop sequences. Users can manually change the routes and the platform allows for 5-week advanced weekly planning, optimal dynamic re-planning and the ability to do multi-day routing of personnel across multiple states with overnight stays.