ServiceMax, Inc., a leader in asset-centric field service management, has announced that FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe has selected and deployed ServiceMax’s field service management platform for the digitization of its service operations in Europe.
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Nov 18, 2021 • News • Digital Transformation • healthcare • servicemax • EMEA • FUJIFILM
ServiceMax, Inc., a leader in asset-centric field service management, has announced that FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe has selected and deployed ServiceMax’s field service management platform for the digitization of its service operations in Europe. As part of its move from a product-focused services strategy to outcome-based solutions, ServiceMax is empowering FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe to better support hospitals and other medical providers with more personalized solutions and service maintenance as they continue the expansion of treatment and diagnostic capabilities available to patients.
SERVICEMAX DRIVING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, EFFICIENCY AND DIGITAL MONITORING OF KPIs
“By digitizing its service operations, FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe will drive operational excellence through optimised processes, delivering greater customer and employee satisfaction and more efficient service planning.
“We already had plans to move our service technicians away from pen and paper, but COVID-19 forced us to rethink healthcare and connect digitally,” said Jean-Luc Budillon, President and COO at FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe. “Our vision is to become a leading healthcare company with excellent customer experience and innovative solutions. With our shift to outcome-based solutions, the ServiceMax platform ensures we will always be able to provide timely and personalized assistance to our engineers whilst still being able to prioritize individual relationships and commitments with our customers. We are a passionate team going the extra mile for our customers, and ServiceMax is the right partner to help us take service care to the next level.”
By completely digitizing its technical service support process, FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe has instant and easy access to critical customer information, such as machines installed, contract details and warranty duration, as well as specific parts. The company can now optimize service planning and improve the management of spare parts, and ultimately provide a better customer experience.
“With ServiceMax, we can plan resources more efficiently and provide faster and more proactive customer support with all the necessary information directly available, enabling our engineers to take immediate decisions,” added Robbert Merkus, Head of Services Europe at FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe. “ServiceMax also simplifies our review process with dashboard monitoring and management of all KPIs for our outcome-based solutions.”
ServiceMax was deployed in Italy in November 2020 and is currently rolling out across Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, UK, DACH and France.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about ServiceMax on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/servicemax
- Read more about Healthcare on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/healthcare
- Find out more about ServiceMax @ www.servicemax.com
- Learn more about FujiFilm Healthcare Europe @ hce.fujifilm.com
- Follow ServiceMax on Twitter @ twitter.com/ServiceMax
Nov 15, 2021 • News • BigChange • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA • field service industry • Field Service Expo
During our Field Service Expo, which took place in Birmingham on 27th and 28th of October, BigChange held a presentation discussing the findings of a major research project that the company has conducted about the state of UK's field service sector.
During our Field Service Expo, which took place in Birmingham on 27th and 28th of October, BigChange held a presentation discussing the findings of a major research project that the company has conducted about the state of UK's field service sector.
Nick Gregory, Chief Marketing Officer at BigChange, discussed how the company has performed a health check of the status of the UK's field service sector to better understand the impact of the pandemic in the industry, how businesses have fared since COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted and what challenges and opportunities field service organisations are facing today.
If you haven't been able to attend our event, you can now watch BigChange's presentation by clicking below.
Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contactdetails submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content BigChange who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this video, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Leadership & Strategy @ www.fieldservicenews.com/leadership-and-strategy
- Read more about the impact of COVID-19 in the Field Service industry @ www.fieldservicenews.com/covid-19
- Read more about BigChange on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/bigchange
- Learn more about BigChange @ www.bigchange.com
- Follow BigChange on Twitter @ twitter.com/bigchangeapps
Nov 08, 2021 • News • Live video streaming • Microsoft • Digital Transformation • EMEA • Customer Service • ADTANCE
ADTANCE, a leading international After-Sales Service technology platform provider for manufactures, industrial companies and mechanical engineering organizations, announced the integration of ADTANCE Smart Services with Microsoft Teams, providing...
ADTANCE, a leading international After-Sales Service technology platform provider for manufactures, industrial companies and mechanical engineering organizations, announced the integration of ADTANCE Smart Services with Microsoft Teams, providing users with a comprehensive solution for industrial customer service.Teams users can utilize ADTANCE Smart Services for digitizing the entire customer service lifecycle including live remote customer support, ticketing, document management, workflow and predictive maintenance.
“Many manufacturing, engineering and industrial organizations already use Microsoft Teams for video conferencing, team chats and sharing documents,” said Nils Arnold, CEO and co-founder of ADTANCE. “Having the ADTANCE customer service functionality within the same application that is already part of users everyday workflow can increase work efficiency and improve customer service.”
TEAMS UERS GAIN NEW OPTION FOR INTEGRATED CUSTOMER SUPPORT WITH UNIQUE MULTI-CAMERA LIVESTREAMING VIDEO CAPABILITIES
“As a world leader in specialty chemicals, we employ more than 30,000 people in 100 countries,” said Dr. Christian Blaufelder, Leiter Commercial Interface & Development, Technical Service, Evonik Industries. “Our service technicians across the globe are avid users of both Microsoft Teams and ADTANCE Smart Services. Having ADTANCE’s multi-camera live video and customer support functionality integrated into Teams will enable us to deliver high quality remote customer service and collaboration, while boosting productivity.”
“Microsoft Teams enables users around the world to collaborate with no limits in time and space,” said Marie Therese Fontaine, Microsoft Teams Business Lead at Microsoft Germany. “ADTANCE Smart Services extends Teams with a comprehensive range of customer service and collaboration capabilities for industrial organizations. “Manufacturers and engineering companies with locations across the globe have the convenience of using a single, robust solution for both team collaboration and customer service.”
The ADTANCE Smart Services solution is available as an installable application through Microsoft App Source. Users can login with their Teams credentials and benefit from the full scope of the ADTANCE Smart Services, which includes the new ADTANCE Support and Fieldstreaming solution—live remote video support software capable of connecting smart glasses with every type of camera to the system. Cameras include those within smartphones, tablets, computers, security cameras, drones and underwater Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), as well as Microsoft HoloLens. Manufacturing and engineering organizations can livestream views of machines from various angles simultaneously – significantly improving customer support, remote machine maintenance and training in the field.
The ADTANCE Smart Services integrated into Teams include the following:
ADTANCE Support – Enables live remote support, inspection and maintenance for customers, utilizing devices such as smart glasses and multi-camera fieldstreaming.
ADTANCE Workflow – Digitizes, analyzes, and optimizes all workflows, including everyday processes such as maintenance instructions.
ADTANCE Process Visualization and Monitoring (PVM) - Monitors the performance of individual machines as well as entire industrial plants.
ADTANCE Predictive Maintenance (PM) - Analyzes and evaluates operational data in real time through the continuous monitoring of machines or the entire production plant using built-in sensors. Machine learning-based analysis offer predictions about potential downtime as well as warnings if a piece of equipment will require maintenance.
ADTANCE Ticketing - Standardizes entire customer service channels by bundling different channels into one system, including e-mail, telephone, SMS and social media. Creates order and clarity by providing different escalation levels with the respective reaction and resolution times.
ADTANCE Document Management (DM) - Stores all customer service documents centrally, and controls access rights for security and privacy purposes.
ADTANCE Parts – A central catalogue system to ensure that all spare part information remains centrally located and easily discoverable.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Customer Service @ www.fieldservicenews.com/customer-service
- Learn more about ADTANCE @ www.adtance.com
- Follow ADTANCE on Twitter @ twitter.com/adtance
- Connect with ADTANCE on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/company/adtance
Nov 03, 2021 • News • BigChange • Digital Transformation • field service management • Service CRM • EMEA • COMPLETE SHUTTER SERVICES
Industrial doors company Complete Shutter Services has doubled its business and boosted productivity by 20 per cent since implementing field service management software from BigChange.
Industrial doors company Complete Shutter Services has doubled its business and boosted productivity by 20 per cent since implementing field service management software from BigChange.Providing a complete job management platform, BigChange cloud-based office software synchronises with a rugged tablets used by field operatives to provide real-time 24/7 visibility of every job nationwide.
Established 35 years with headquarters and factory in Rotherham and a factory in Harlow, Essex, Complete Shutter Services designs, manufactures, installs and services door systems for clients including BP, Shell, Jewson, Homebase, Marks and Spencer and the Co-Op.
BIGCHANGE IS A COMPLETE JOB MANAGEMENT PLATFORM BRINGING TOGETHER CRM, JOB SCHEDULING, LIVE TRACKING, FIELD RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT INTO ONE PLATFORM.
“We’re in an increasingly competitive market and it is crucial to keep ahead’” says Paul Quealey, MD, Complete Shutter Services. “Our clients are also now much more demanding when it comes to reporting on jobs – they expect accurate and real-time reports. BigChange allows us to do just that and the platform is so easily adaptable that we know we’ll be able to meet any client need.”
According to Quealey, the biggest impact of BigChange has been in improving the quality of its services. The software guides field operatives through procedures on site ensuring everything is done correctly with consistent and complete reporting every time; backed up with time recorded before and after photographs. “We’ve possibly increased the quality of our services by 70 per cent with BigChange. That’s key to retaining and growing our business and the way we have deployed BigChange gives us a key competitive advantage,” he explains.
Complete Shutter Services was one of the first adopters of BigChange and played a central role in developing the platform for use in the industrial doors industry. BigChange is a complete job management platform bringing together customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, financial management, and online portal into one simple to use and easy to integrate platform. Jobs are automatically allocated based on real-time engineer availability, skills, live location and parts stock. This is significantly increasing productivity; minimising customer wait time and driving first time fix at competitive cost for clients.
“BigChange has delivered huge cost savings and we’ve increased productivity in the office by at least 20 per cent and we’ve made similar gains in terms of the number of jobs completed daily,” Quealey explains. “It’s also made business expansion very easy. New engineers can literally be up and running in minutes using the very easy mobile app. And when we opened a new office in Harlow, we just connected online to access the cloud-based software giving all the IT we needed, instantly.”
Complete’s field engineers use the platform to complete their timesheets and vehicle checks, before instantly accessing job information. Linked to vehicle trackers, the software provides navigation with live traffic to ensure the best route is taken and customers receive ETA updates by text and email. On arrival, engineers can create instant estimates and the app guides them step by step through health & safety and job-specific workflows including photo capture. On completion, the system generates job-cards that are automatically shared via a customer’s booking portal or via email.
“Invoices can be raised immediately on job completion and since the system allows us to provide such good proof-of-service, disputes are very much a thing of the past. For management, BigChange really does bring peace of mind. We’ve got access through a BigChange management smartphone app that gives us complete round-the clock visibility of everything going on. It means we are always in control and able to provide the high levels of service whatever the operational challenges,” Quealey adds.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Field Service Management @ www.fieldservicenews.com/field-service-management
- Read more about BigChange on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/bigchange
- Learn more about BigChange @ www.bigchange.com
- Find out more about Complete Shutter Services @ www.completeshutterservices.co.uk
- Follow BigChange on Twitter @ twitter.com/bigchangeapps
Oct 29, 2021 • News • 5G • Artificial intelligence • Ericsson • Telecommunications • Telenet • Managing the Mobile Workforce • EMEA
Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Belgian Communications Service Provider, Telenet, are extending their managed services partnership through a five-year deal that will see Ericsson take responsibility for planning, design, operations and optimization. The...
Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Belgian Communications Service Provider, Telenet, are extending their managed services partnership through a five-year deal that will see Ericsson take responsibility for planning, design, operations and optimization. The deal also includes the deployment and seamless integration of 5G hardware into Telenet’s mobile network.
he deal will see Telenet deploying Ericsson Operations Engine in 2022, comprising the latest in AI and automation to enhance its mobile network performance and offer improved customer experience. Telenet announced the selection of Ericsson as 5G radio access network (RAN) vendor in a network modernization deal announced in March 2021.
THE DEPLOYMENT OF ERICSSON OPERATIONS ENGINE WILL PROVIDE TELENET'S MOBILE NETWORK WITH DATA-DRIVEN OPERATIONS AND OPTIMIZATION THROUGH AI AND AUTOMATION
Ericsson network optimization services will also be provided under the deal. The solution combines multi-vendor networks expertise with the latest AI-enabled Cognitive Software suite. This functionality will enhance customer experiences and ensure a superior return from Telenet’s deployed network assets. Ericsson will also extend its current Mobile Operation Center with monitoring of the fixed network.
As part the deal, Ericsson will employ 15 of Telenet's mobile network experts while maintaining their current employment conditions.
Micha Berger, Chief Technology Officer, Telenet, says: “We are pleased to reinforce our long-term partnership with Ericsson as part of our vision to build a future-ready 5G network that enables world-class experience for our customers. We are confident that these new technologies will enable us to provide to our customers a state-of-the-art mobile experience.”
Franck Bouétard, Head of Ericsson Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Algeria and Tunisia, says: “Prolonging and expanding our managed services contract is the recognition of our operational performance as Telenet’s trusted partner and is complementing our 5G RAN contract. As Belgium is continuing its shift toward 5G, we are honored to extend our partnership with a key actor such as Telenet to deliver leading 5G services to Belgian consumers.”
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about 5G @ www.fieldservicenews.com/5G
- Read more about Ericsson on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/ericsson
- Read more about Telenet on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com//telenet
- Find out more about Ericsson 5G @ https://www.ericsson.com/en/5g
- Follow Ericsson on Twitter @ twitter.com/Ericsson
Oct 28, 2021 • News • Future of field servcice • field service management • Salesforce • Managing the Mobile Workforce • GLOBAL
Today, Salesforce introduced four new capabilities for Field Service to help businesses equip their mobile workforce for the future.
Today, Salesforce introduced four new capabilities for Field Service to help businesses equip their mobile workforce for the future.
These features will enable businesses to scale resources to handle more complex jobs, customize mobile apps to tailor employee experiences, provide customers with flexible scheduling, and use video for both improved customer and employee interactions.
Customers today expect businesses to deliver world-class service whether they're working with an agent in a call center, engaging with a bot, or interacting with an agent in the field. But field technicians and organizations often don't have the tools, skills, and information to meet these expectations. In fact, 80% of field service professionals say the skills required for their job have evolved from just two years ago, and 81% see a direct link between their work and business performance. But learning those skills and delivering these experiences in the field isn’t easy -- especially at scale.
“With customers and employees looking for fast and easy digital service, the field service industry is ripe for change,” said Paul Whitelam, GM of Field Service Management at Salesforce. “Salesforce is a leader in field service management thanks to our powerful platform that delivers a complete customer view, and today’s innovations bring more trust, speed, and convenience to every field service interaction.”
FIELD SERVICE IS BUILT FOR CHANGE
Salesforce Field Service is a complete solution to manage your mobile workforce. Providing scheduling, mobile capabilities, AI to manage jobs and solve problems on the first visit, and swarming capabilities with Slack. It’s built on the world’s #1 CRM and part of a complete service offering that connects customer data and your service experts on one platform. Today’s additions to Salesforce Field Service include:
- Running on Hyperforce, Salesforce’s next-generation platform architecture, the Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization Engine will enable businesses to handle complex field service jobs in more locations around the world. For example, an IT services company can now expand to serve global customers on the same platform, and instantly get up and running in a new region. Optimization comes into play when a job requires several steps and technicians: for example, a Utility digging a hole for a new electric pole, installing the pole and wires, and adding wiring to nearby structures. Salesforce Field Service will enable companies to chain these steps together so dispatchers can see complex jobs in their entirety and better manage worker capacity.
- Lightning Web Components for Field Service will enable businesses and partners to easily customize the Salesforce Field Service mobile app with advanced features and workflows to provide a better employee experience. For example, a water delivery company can create a custom app that pre-populates order information — like the delivery cadence and quantity — from Service Cloud into one page, saving the delivery person time on approvals and the headache of having to fill out the same information over and over. Lightning Web Components also provides new opportunities for partners and SIs to create industry-specific applications, such as a streamlined workflow for home security companies or industrial machinery manufacturers.
- Appointment Assistant Self-Service Scheduling enables customers to schedule their own appointments and cancel, confirm, or reschedule, all without waiting on hold. And as customers make these changes, technician schedules and service resources will automatically adjust.
- Visual Remote Assistant Two-Way Video now lets both agents and customers share their cameras in real time to troubleshoot issues. For example, an agent can show a customer step by step how to reset their cable box. On-site technicians can get real-time training or pull in additional support from contact center agents when needed.
Organizations are using Salesforce Field Service to respond faster and build trust
Organizations in dozens of industries around the world are using Salesforce Field Service to respond to the changing needs of their customers:
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Hologic: "With Salesforce Field Service, Hologic is able to reduce time spent on site by equipping field service engineers with AI-powered recommendations and ensure we can get the right person to the right job at the right time, with the right part,” Pierre Malboeuf, Senior Director, National Field Service, Breast & Skeletal Health. “Field Service is a game changer and enables us to build a deep sense of trust with our customers."
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AAA: "Today's consumer has zero tolerance for having to repeat themselves. Omnichannel servicing allows a customer to begin a request or service from one chosen channel and complete the request in a whole other service channel without losing a beat,” Shohreh Abedi, EVP, Chief Operations Technology Officer, Member Experience, The Auto Club Group. “Field Service has reduced over 25% of the volume that is being handled completely digitally without human interaction, through AI, chat or other digital self-service capabilities. The result of having a customer-centric approach is a happier, more delighted member, and Salesforce is a big part of our journey."
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SafeStreets: “We needed a smart tool that would allow us to schedule security installs quickly in a matter of minutes and bring our reschedule rate down, because rescheduling often results in the customer cancelling the job,” said Eddie Prignano, VP of Systems Architecture. “Salesforce helped us create a great customer experience in a short amount of time that gives us confidence in our scheduling and gives the customer all the information they could want — from the name and photo of the technician, to where they are and their ETA, so the customer never feels like they’re in the dark. And as customers’ expectations require updates to these experiences, we have the flexibility to simply and easily make changes as necessary.”
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MTI: "MTI provides security and tablet solutions to businesses like retailers, restaurants, hotels and hospitals, and the pandemic drove tremendous change in all of those businesses. By leveraging Salesforce Field Service, we’ve been able to reduce manual scheduling needs by 50% and run 70-80% of service trips through our optimization model,” Mary Jesse, CEO. “Not only that, but we’re able to drill down and see to the minute when somebody is on site, what they’re doing and how it relates back up to a complete customer project. The average time to resolve a case has decreased as we’ve leveraged multiple applications within the Salesforce ecosystem — increasing the speed and efficiency of our business."
DocuSign automates contract obligations in the field
Announced yesterday, DocuSign CRM for Field Service will allow customers to automate how they track, enforce, and update contract terms across departments and while in the field. Bringing in data on warranties and service level agreements (SLAs) from DocuSign CRM contracts directly into Service Cloud contract objects will enable smarter and more automated service experiences, and efficient service contract execution.
Additional Information
To learn more about how Salesforce Field Service is empowering mobile workforces to build trust and scale, watch the latest episode of At Your Service and visit the product page for more details.
Availability
- Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization is currently available in beta.
- Lightning Web Components for Field Service is currently available in pilot.
- Appointment Assistant Self-Service Scheduling is generally available.
- Visual Remote Assistant Two-Way Video is generally available.
- DocuSign CLM for Salesforce Field Service will be available in 2022.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Mobile Workforce Management @ www.fieldservicenews.com/managing-the-mobile-workforce
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Find our more about Salesforce @ www.salesforce.com
- Read more about Salesforce on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/salesforce
- Follow Salesforce on Twitter @ twitter.com/salesforce
Oct 27, 2021 • News • Digital Transformation • IFS • Technology • GLOBAL
IFS, the global cloud enterprise applications company, announced its Q3 2021 year-to-date (YTD) financial results, ending September 30, 2021.
IFS, the global cloud enterprise applications company, announced its Q3 2021 year-to-date (YTD) financial results, ending September 30, 2021.
Driving strong performance in Q3 was the increase in customer demand for IFS in the Cloud, with cloud revenue up 104% year-on-year (YoY). In line with this, recurring revenue now constitutes 81% of software revenue, representing a 19% increase YoY.
With customers achieving faster time-to-value because of the improved deployment capabilities of IFS Cloud, as well as more partners implementing IFS solutions, the contribution of software revenue now represents 72% of IFS’s total revenue, up 17% YoY.
Industrial asset & service proposition drives momentum with major customer wins
The improvements against every leading KPI demonstrate IFS’s continued growth as well as an impressive revenue mix that is delivering consistency and predictability. Combining this with IFS’s differentiated proposition for companies managing asset and service needs, provides a headwind for strong end of year.
In Q3, IFS also added depth to its offering with the acquisition of Customerville. Customerville is an award-winning feedback platform that elevates feedback and listening across the entire customer journey thanks to its unique design-driven approach. It enables companies to get a better understanding of their customers, address issues and unearth new opportunities so that they can ultimately deliver amazing Moments of Service™.
Testament to IFS’s leadership in Service Management is recognition from Gartner who named IFS a Leader, for the sixth consecutive time, in the Magic Quadrant for Field Service Management. In Q3, IFS also won competitive tenders with its industrial asset and service proposition, adding one of the world’s largest packaging and one of the world’s largest telecoms companies as customers.
Commenting on the results, Darren Roos, CEO of IFS, said: “At heart, IFS is a technology-driven software company and the investments we have – and continue to make – into the IFS Cloud platform and our customer-facing services evidence themselves in these stellar results. The strong growth in software revenue is testament to us attracting new customers, but also in our commitment to our current customers whose ongoing success is of paramount importance to us. I’m proud of the work that our team has done to create market differentiation with our industrial asset and service capabilities, which continues to create positive momentum.”
IFS CFO, Constance Minc, added: “It is hugely impressive for a business of our size to be growing at such a pace, while at the same time building resilience and consistency into our revenue mix. We are continuing to deliver to plan which provides us full confidence in how we will close out the year.”
Summary of the financial highlights from Q3 2021 YTD:
- Software revenue was SEK 3.4bln, an increase of 17% Year on Year
- Recurring revenue was SEK 2.75bln, an increase of 19% Year on Year and representing 81% of software revenue
- Cloud revenue increased 104% Year on Year representing more than 29% of software revenue
* Note: all figures based in Swedish Krona and reported in constant currency.
In line with WorkWave establishing itself as a standalone business at the end of Q2 2021, the performance reported above excludes WorkWave’s contribution to the IFS Group. Performance including WorkWave saw software revenue grow at 24% YTD. The IFS Group is on track to achieve $1bln USD revenue in 2021.
Further Reading:
- Find out more about IFS @ www.ifs.com/
- Read more about IFS on Field Service News @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/ifs
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Learn more about of IFS Cloud @ www.ifs.com/ifs-cloud/
- Follow IFS on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/ifs
Oct 26, 2021 • News • Telecommunications • Managing the Mobile Workforce • EMEA • Mobile Broadband • ETELM • FRONTLINE WORKERS
ETELM, the radio communications infrastructure specialist, has entered the third and final phase of its work with the BroadPort consortium to develop a pan-European interoperable mobile broadband system for Public Protection & Disaster Relief (PPDR)...
ETELM, the radio communications infrastructure specialist, has entered the third and final phase of its work with the BroadPort consortium to develop a pan-European interoperable mobile broadband system for Public Protection & Disaster Relief (PPDR) users.
Having successfully completed the Prototype Phase, ETELM is part of the Frequentis-led consortium that is among just two consortia left in this European Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) Project, BroadWay. They have now been invited to move onto the next phase, which will be to develop the prototype solution into a live, useable pilot system.
The BroadWay initiative was created by the public safety agencies from 11 European countries and is operating under the framework of Horizon 2020, a flagship EU research and innovation programme. Collectively, these agencies provide mobile communication services to around 1.4 million responders and deal with an array of crimes and disasters throughout the continent.
FREQUENTIS-LED CONSORTIUM DOWN TO THE FINAL TWO IN DEVELOPING INTEROPERABLE PUBLIC PROTECTION & DISASTER RELIEF (PPDR) MOBILE BROADBAND SYSTEM
Where currently each country possesses its own separate system to handle mission-critical communications, the objective of BroadWay is to develop a unified solution that will allow European first responders to communicate, share and access information regardless of the country in which they intervene. This will provide operational mobility for public safety responders across Europe by linking national mission-critical mobile broadband networks to act as one.
Now at its pilot stage, the consortium is required to develop a solution that reaches Technology Readiness Level 8, a system originally developed by NASA to provide uniformity of technical maturity across different technologies. Level 8 will require a complete and fully operational system that achieves the best possible performance across each of the project’s 11 objectives.
A primary goal will be to ensure that the pilot system succeeds in being interconnected and provided as-a-service to offer the widest operational mobility. In particular, it must provide secure operational and EU interoperable communication for law enforcement agencies and other PPDR practitioners so that they are able to protect and respond in cross-border cooperation. Operational mobility of this standard will allow practitioners to operate wherever they are, whenever they need to, and with whomever they are tasked to cooperate.
Nicolas Hauswald, CEO at ETELM, said: “The impact of this innovation-led project will be felt by all police, firefighters and other emergency units when dealing with any cross-border incident or disaster as it unfolds. It will also become an essential tool in managing public safety, enabling enhanced security and more effective emergency responses.
“ETELM has been developing professional radio communications infrastructure for over 40 years, working with critical communications organisations around the globe, and we are very proud to bring our expertise to this important project.
“The demands of critical communications require not only robust and reliable solutions that can operate in any situation, no matter the environment, but also the capacity to transmit increasingly rich data without delay. Add to this the need to seamlessly integrate across numerous different jurisdictions and our challenge here is to demonstrate a single, future-proofed system that will enable emergency services, first responders and critical national infrastructure operators across Europe to complete their essential duties not only unhindered but also significantly enhanced by the technology that we are developing. It’s an exciting prospect, and we are fully committed to its success.”
The BroadWay Pilot Phase (Phase 3) begins in October 2021 and will last until September 2022.
The full BroadPort consortium, led by Frequentis, consists of the following partners: ETELM, Crosscall, Halys, Municipality of Málaga, Nemergent Solutions SL, and Universidad de Málaga. The subcontractors are: Arico Technologies, Control Center Apps GmbH, Comfone, Eutelsat SA, Lyfo, PrioCom B.V., Telefónica I+D, T-Mobile Netherlands B.V., and Virtual Fort Knox AG.
Further Reading:
- Learn more about ETELM @ www.etelm.fr
- Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ www.fieldservicenews.com/managing-the-mobile-workforce
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about ETELM on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/etelm
- Find out more about about the BroadWay PCP Project @ www.broadway-info.eu
- Follow ETELM on Twitter @ twitter.com/ETELM2
Oct 25, 2021 • News • Carbon Emissions • Electric Vehicles • Sustainability • Service Innovation and Design • EMEA • HELIOX
Rapid charging expert Heliox has announced the launch of its 180kW Flex Charge System™, designed for high-powered depots and overnight charging across multiple vehicles, including buses and trucks.
Rapid charging expert Heliox has announced the launch of its 180kW Flex Charge System™, designed for high-powered depots and overnight charging across multiple vehicles, including buses and trucks.
The Heliox 180kW Flex Charge System™ has recently been rolled out by Multiobus in Belgium, with GVB Amsterdam and Transdev Hermes in Eindhoven to follow shortly.
From 1 January 2025, at least 30 cities must have established a zero-emission zone as per their commitment to the Paris Climate Accord of 2015. The goal brings into focus balancing the immediacy of transition with an eye on being future-proof. Flex Charge also allows fleet owners to scale up charging infrastructure as their fleet grows, as opposed to a higher up-front cost, reducing upfront payments and in the long run, lowering the total cost of ownership.
THE FLEX CHARGE SYSTEM IS COMPATIBLE WITH MULTIPLE VEHICLES, REMOVING BARRIERS TO ENTRY AND ENABLING A GIANT STRIDE AHEAD OF THE E-MOBILITY REVOLUTION
“With Heliox Flex Charge, fleet operators can expand their charging infrastructure at the same time as their fleet and add power as needed. Startup and capital costs are the biggest challenge for electric vehicle adoption, and we are excited to be leading the charge with Flex, at a pivotal moment for the industry.” said Michael Coljin, CEO of Heliox Group.
The Heliox 180kW Flex Charge System™ is a simple plug-in system designed to be compatible with vehicles and interfaces built to last over 15 years.
Other benefits include:
Dynamic charging: Flex Charge can deliver the right amount of power as needed - 180, 120 or 60 kW - while charging multiple vehicles at the same time.
Scalable and modular: Expand as you grow, Flex Charge allows fleets in transition to start slowly and scale in the long run.
Flexible installation: It is not necessary to design the fleet around chargers, especially as the Flex Charge System™ is compatible with any interface, including pantograph, contact cap, dispenser box, etc.
Small and cost-effective footprint: Cost per point of sale is lower than a standard charging system, reducing the total cost of ownership for operators.
High-Powered: A single hour of charge allows an e-bus to travel up to 180 kilometers in urban environments.
In the last 6 months, Heliox has supplied over 1 million high power charge sessions, or 6000 sessions per day, with over 25,000 commercial EVs powered by Heliox globally. On average, this equates to a daily carbon saving of 3000-4000 tons per day. Simply put, this is the equivalent of lighting up 3000 homes annually. Additionally, cities that have adopted Heliox’ solutions for public transportation are working towards a 97% reduction in emissions en route the 2025 zero-emissions target.
“For both environmental and economic reasons, the decision to electrify a fleet or switch to an electric vehicle is now clearer than ever. Total cost of ownership is competitive with diesel, with EV expected to be nearly a dollar a mile cheaper by 2030. This is an attractive switching argument for any ambitious fleet owner,” says Colijn.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Service Innovation and Design @ www.fieldservicenews.com/service-innovation-and-design
- Read More about Sustainability on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/sustainability
- Read more about Carbon Emissions on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/carbon-emissions
- Find our more about Heliox @ www.heliox-energy.com
- Follow Tavant on Twitter @ www.linkedin.com/company/heliox-energy/
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