Field Service Insight UK is a brand new industry event that will be held on the 9th March 2016 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, hosted by mplsystems.
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Jan 18, 2016 • News • mplsystems • MSTLN • Nick Frank • resources • field service insight UK
Field Service Insight UK is a brand new industry event that will be held on the 9th March 2016 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, hosted by mplsystems.
The day will consist of a unique mix of presentations, interactive talks, customer case studies and networking opportunities for professionals in the field service management sector.
Unlike many other shows and conferences in the industry, Field Service Insight UK is a smaller, focused event designed to address key topics and trends via a mix of industry professionals, field service organisations and topical experts. With a compact agenda over a 4 hour time frame the event has been put together to allow busy professionals to attend without having to dedicate a full working day.
Field Service Insight UK has been designed to address key topics and trends, such as the Internet of Things, Servitisation and best practice project implementation
This new industry event is targeted at those in senior level positions who manage the field service delivery, operations or technology within their organisation. The presentations and case studies at this event will suit those individuals in organisations with 20+ field based workers who are looking at ways to improve service delivery and want to know more about how new technologies are changing the way we work.
Speakers will include Dave Ormston, IT Success Specialist from leading IT Consultancy LOCS, Paul Gresty, Managing Director of Ecomaster and a case study session from Rob Burgess, European Service Manager from leading casino equipment manufacturer, TCSJOHNHUXLEY.
Nick Frank, Founding Member of the Steering Committee at Manufacturing Services Thought Leadership Network (MSTLN) who will be hosting an interactive session on Servitisation and the Internet of Things in the field service sector. This will be followed by Paul White, CEO mplsystems, discussing the latest technology solutions for field service drawing on key customer project implementations including Cofely, the Metric Group and Gamestec.
For more information or to register go to: mplsystems
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Jan 06, 2016 • News • M2M • Berg Insight • IoT • Technology
According to a new research report from analyst firm Berg Insight, the global number of cellular M2M subscribers increased by 23 percent during 2015 to reach 265.2 million and is set to hit one billion by 2022.
According to a new research report from analyst firm Berg Insight, the global number of cellular M2M subscribers increased by 23 percent during 2015 to reach 265.2 million and is set to hit one billion by 2022.
One of the main trends highlighted by The Global M2M/IoT Communications Market report is the rapid transformation of the wireless M2M/IoT networking technology landscape. 2G networks are gradually taken out of service to be replaced by more efficient 4G technology. At the same time, new enhancements are being added to the LTE standard to better accommodate typical M2M use-cases with large numbers of devices and very low data requirements. In addition, the leading players in the mobile industry have reached a highly significant agreement to define a new global standard for low power wireless communication based on mobile network infrastructure. The new NB-IoT standard was accepted by the 3GPP in December 2015 and will be included in the 3GPP Release 13, due for publication in January 2016.
Berg Insight believes that the initiative will become successful in establishing a global standard for lightweight IoT communication on public networks in the next 3–5 years.
East Asia was the largest regional market with 90.4 million M2M subscribers, followed by Western Europe and North America with 59.0 million and 52.5 million respectively. Over the next five years, the installed base of cellular M2M devices is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.9 percent. “Our current view is that the 1 billion milestone for cellular M2M subscribers will be reached in 2022”, says Tobias Ryberg, Senior Analyst Berg Insight and author of the report.
As the cellular M2M market continues to grow, it is starting to generate substantial revenues for leading telecom operator groups. Verizon and Vodafone reported quarterly M2M/IoT revenues in the range of € 150–200 million each in the first half of 2015 and could be on track to reach € 1 billion on an annual basis within a few years’ time. Both groups have substantial telematics businesses, originally established through acquisitions. Besides traditional connectivity and professional services, they generate a considerable share of their sales from automotive products, driver assistance services and connected automotive applications.
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Dec 16, 2015 • Hardware • News • Getac • hardware • Rugged computers
Getac, the rugged device manufacturer, has released the V110 computer which can be used as a conventional notebook or as a tablet.
Getac, the rugged device manufacturer, has released the V110 computer which can be used as a conventional notebook or as a tablet.
The V110-G2 incorporates Intel’s fifth-generation Broadwell technology to improve productivity and optimise power consumption. This new processing power, allied with rugged build, will enable the units to deliver exceptional computing performance in the harshest of working environments, says the company.
Peter Molyneux, President, Getac UK, says the V110-G2 re-affirms Getac’s commitment to delivering the latest technology to those who need power and performance in critical conditions. “Customers depend on Getac devices to provide them with the greatest level of performance in all conditions - the V110-G2 offers increased performance for our customers’ business."
Better productivity is a key feature among customers when it comes to selecting mobile devices – 78 per cent of respondents in the Enterprise Mobility Exchange Rugged Mobile Technology Report (March 2015) said it is a critical factor in their device procurement process. Molyneux adds: “We know that greater productivity is important to our customers, and this is reflected in this product upgrade.”
The V110-G2 can be specified with either an Intel Core i5-5200U (2.2GHz) or i7-5500U (2.4GHz) vPro processor, both with Turbo Boost. It comes with 4GB RAM expandable to 8GB, and Windows 7 or 8.1 Pro or 10 operating system.
The full-size, waterproof membrane keyboard has 88 standard-sized, island-style independent keys and a LED backlight that allows user to type in the dimmest conditions.
The V110’s dual batteries are 66% smaller and 57% lighter than earlier models and hot-swappable dual-battery design enables you to remove one of the two rechargeable batteries and replace it with a fresh battery without ever shutting down apps or your Windows OS.
Communications include the latest superfast 802.11ac WiFi, dedicated GPS and 3D antennae.
At 1.98kg and 34mm thin, the V110-G2 is 27% lighter and 30% thinner than the previous generation, but there has been no sacrificed on ruggedness - it is certified to MIL-STD 810G IP65 and ANSI and it can handle temperatures from minus 20 deg C to plus 60 deg C.
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Dec 16, 2015 • Fleet Technology • News • fleet technology • Berg Insight • fleet management • TomTom Telematics
TomTom Telematics has been identified as Europe’s largest, and fastest-growing, provider of commercial vehicle fleet management solutions by Berg Insight, the M2M/IoT market analyst firm.
TomTom Telematics has been identified as Europe’s largest, and fastest-growing, provider of commercial vehicle fleet management solutions by Berg Insight, the M2M/IoT market analyst firm.
Berg Insight has just published the tenth edition of its Fleet Management Europe report. CEO Johan Fagerberg commented: “Our report shows that the European fleet management market has entered a growth period that looks set to last for several years. The number of fleet management systems in active use is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.1 percent from 4.40 million units at the end of 2014 to 8.90 million by 2019. TomTom Telematics was the fastest growing vendor in 2014 and has now emerged as the clear leader in the European fleet management market.”
Official statistics from 2011 reveal that of the 36.1m commercial vehicles on European roads, 29.5 million are light commercial vehicles (LCV) used by mobile workers for activities such as service management and deliveries.
A group of international aftermarket solution providers have emerged as the leaders on the European fleet management market, says Berg. TomTom Telematics was the fastest growing vendor also in 2014 and has climbed to the number one spot in Europe ahead of Masternaut. Other significant players include European companies such as Trakm8, Transics, Microlise, Quartix, Tantalum Corporation, Orange Business Services, Vehco and Finder and international players like Trimble and Navman Wireless from the US, Astrata Europe from Singapore and the South African telematics providers DigiCore and MiX Telematics.
TomTom Telematics services more than 520,000 vehicles worldwide 60 countries, giving it the largest installed base of subscriptions for fleet management services in Europe. At the same time, it is one of the world’s leading telematics solution providers.
“We believe firmly in the power of leadership in combination with continuous innovation,” said Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director at TomTom Telematics. “Our open telematics service platform WEBFLEET lies at the heart of this success, offering high performance and efficiency gains, security and quick return on investment for our customers.” WEBFLEET includes ISO 27001:2013 certification - one of the most stringent certifications for information security controls.
The Berg report also highlights the vendor consolidation trend in the fleet management sector, noting numerous M&A activities in 2015. Fleetmatics acquired Ornicar in February 2015 – a local FM solution provider in France adding around 15,000 vehicle subscriptions. In March 2015, a decision was made to merge the two Danaher Corporation owned companies Navman Wireless and Teletrac. Later in April, Orange Business Services acquired OCEAN that now operates as a subsidiary with the OCEAN brand name. Novatel Wireless announced a bid to acquire Digicore in June in a deal worth US$ 87 million. In the same month, Viasat announced to have acquired a controlling interest in Cefin Systems. Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division and GRO Capital announced the acquisition of Trackunit from the founders of the company in July. Thermo King acquired Celtrak in October. The latest transaction was done in November when Fleetmatics acquired Visirun in Italy adding 28,000 subscriptions amd 3,000 clients.
TomTom Telematics has also been named Best Vehicle System Integrator by TU-Automotive in recognition of its open platform which now has more than 350 partners. Available third-party software solutions and apps include those for CRM and ERP, planning and scheduling, route optimisation, temperature control, mobile printing and lone worker safety.
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Dec 14, 2015 • News • BigChange • field service management • JobWatch • Software and Apps • Managing the Mobile Workforce
Over 300 service companies are now using its paperless 3-in-1 JobWatch field service solution, reports UK mobile workforce management solutions BigChange.
Over 300 service companies are now using its paperless 3-in-1 JobWatch field service solution, reports UK mobile workforce management solutions BigChange.
Launched three years ago, JobWatch was developed to give field service businesses of any size everything they need to plan, manage, schedule and track their mobile workforce. The easy to use, simple to implement system combines back-office, mobile app and real-time vehicle and resource tracking in a single cloud based solution. It provides end-to-end management of the entire service process from quotation all the way through to invoice including intelligent planning and scheduling. A whole mountain of paperwork is replaced with automated workflows on the JobWatch app that guides mobile engineers or drivers through all their tasks.
According to BigChange’s CEO and founder Martin Port, JobWatch aims to bring mobile workforce management technology to the thousands of small, medium and large businesses that still operate using manual paper based processes:
“Historically this technology has been out of reach for SMEs given the cost and perceived complexity. JobWatch is a game-changer for these businesses, giving them the power of a ‘big enterprise’ system but with incredible simplicity, affordability and customisability.”
Among the users are nationwide hire companies Nixon and Elliott Hire who are using JobWatch to streamline the servicing of equipment and portable toilets across the UK. The Forestry arm of Komatsu uses JobWatch to manage the servicing of huge timber felling and processing machinery.
JobWatch is proving to be a growth catalyst for startups such as waste and recycling specialist Clearabee who adopted the system back in 2013 when they had a single vehicle. Their business has grown rapidly and the company now serves over 30,000 nationwide clients across 15 sites with a team of 50 employees.
The return-on-investment for users is significant, says Port. “A perfect example is dp Doors. JobWatch has brought their business 25% more revenue each month, thanks to smarter scheduling and greater productivity across their 23 strong field service team. This equates to an extra 4 jobs per engineer per week. Admin in their back office has been reduced by 15% and this time saved is being dedicated to value-adding sales and marketing activities. Failed jobs have been reduced by 50%. Their annual fuel savings from JobWatch are in excess of £5000 and this saving alone is paying for their JobWatch system.”
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Dec 09, 2015 • Software & Apps • News • Kony • Enterprise Mobility • field service management • SAP Business Suite • Software and Apps
Enterprise mobility company Kony Inc. has launched a mobile solution with SAP-Certified Integration to help companies modernise their field service processes for mobile devices, IoT and wearables.
Enterprise mobility company Kony Inc. has launched a mobile solution with SAP-Certified Integration to help companies modernise their field service processes for mobile devices, IoT and wearables.
The Kony Mobile Field Service solution for SAP Business Suite is a set of three new apps and implementation services designed to help businesses move away from a paper-based field service operation to a completely mobilised environment within 30 days.
“We are seeing more organisations turn to mobility to streamline processes and increase productivity; however, many are still held back by expensive upgrades and limited resources,” said Dave Shirk, president, Product, Strategy and Marketing for Kony. “With Kony Mobile Field Service solution, enterprises using SAP Business Suite can now quickly mobilise the field team without investing in expensive upgrades to their SAP systems, or having to rip and replace their entire backend infrastructure. With mobility, they can now process more work orders, improve their service levels and first time fix rates; and ultimately increase revenue by introducing the ability for technicians to upsell and process payments in the field.”
The solution is a single integrated suite that optimises the entire field service business process. This enables businesses to maximise efficiency while processing notification, planning and tracking, and executing work orders all in a single integrated app suite. It is built on the Kony Mobile Platform, and extensive experience and expertise based on helping global companies and brands mobilise their field service business processes.
One of the first users to deploy the solution is Irish utility company ESB. "Servicing more than two million customers, we needed a mobile solution that our field technicians could rely on to help streamline work orders and improve overall efficiency,” said Eugene O’Sullivan, Networks Mobile programme manager, ESB. “We turned to Kony to help mobilise our field services because data is very important in our industry and Kony’s solutions offered the data synchronisation we needed. With our Mobile Work Order solution, technicians have the ability to view work order details, see location maps, review meter details, and record data to complete the work orders.”
Kony is a silver partner in the SAP PartnerEdge program and provides enterprises using SAP systems the flexibility and agility they need to use these apps as is or they can customise the front-end application design and integrations with their back-end systems to fit their requirements. In addition to SAP, Kony can also mobilise other enterprise applications such as Oracle, Microsoft, Siebel, and Salesforce to drive process improvements.
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Dec 08, 2015 • News • Maxoptra • dynamic scheduling • field service management • SaaS • Software and Apps
Commercial catering and refrigeration equipment service provider Serviceline has transformed its field service operations with the Maxoptra dynamic scheduling and planning system from Magenta Technologies.
Commercial catering and refrigeration equipment service provider Serviceline has transformed its field service operations with the Maxoptra dynamic scheduling and planning system from Magenta Technologies.
Serviceline has completed stage one of the project to streamline its operations by providing better visibility of its mobile resources and availability of service engineers’ time. By automating 90% of field service tasks, the company now has time to focus on enhancing customer service.
Serviceline has 120 engineers collectively possessing more than 400 different skill sets. Planning, matching and allocating work to the best qualified service engineer is very challenging, especially when new jobs come in during the day, which continually changes priorities.
“We had this vision of what we wanted the business to achieve. For us, customer service is key. It’s all about communication, the relationship you build and maintain with your customers. We always had a belief that if we could automate the planning and scheduling process to quickly provide the information our people needed to make the best decisions, then they would have more time to talk to customers,” said Steve Elliott, Managing Director of Serviceline.
“Maxoptra is the embodiment of that concept. It is the first and only dynamic scheduling and planning system that we have found which does that, where there is the programming functionality to take away 90 percent of what our staff had to do manually.”
Elliot continued: “It used to take six months for a new planner or dispatcher to learn fully how to use the two booking systems we used to manage the complexity. Now we have complete visibility of where our engineers are and the status of each job. This allows us to consider options and make the best routing and planning decisions quickly.”
The software is fully integrated with the existing SaaS telematics platform, to provide a map-based real-time display of vehicle location, job status and work schedule. Serviceline can now have optimised schedules from Maxoptra sent directly to in-cab terminals, allowing the field engineers to navigate to their jobs and report their progress in real time. The system also highlights variances from plan.
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Dec 03, 2015 • Software & Apps • News • aeromark • field service management • Service Management • Software and Apps
Facilities and maintenance services provider Arcus Solutions Ltd has achieves a 20% improvement in productivity following deployment of Aeromark Optmatics mobile workforce management software. Additionally, services levels are up 40%.
Facilities and maintenance services provider Arcus Solutions Ltd has achieves a 20% improvement in productivity following deployment of Aeromark Optmatics mobile workforce management software. Additionally, services levels are up 40%.
In 2013 Arcus went to the market to look for a new system that would help improve the management of the maintenance service to their customers and optimise the productivity throughout their 155 strong field service engineer workforce.
Aeromark Optimatics was selected as it offered smart technology that would provide clear visibility of field operations and optimisation of the whole service process, minimising operational costs whilst at the same time improving service levels.
After the first six months of full operation, not only has the cost base been optimised but the service levels delivered have improved by 40%.
“Aeromark’s agile approach combined with the power and flexibility of their Optimatics technology has enabled our entire business process to be optimised and aligned with best practice. This has resulted in over 50% reduction in touch-points, statutory paper records have been replaced with electronic documentation and we have seen a significant, reduction in fuel and wasted time” said Parag Gogate, Head of Projects and Quality at Arcus.
“As a result of the considerable success of this project, we have decided to roll out Optimatics as our standard enterprise software across the whole group” continued Parag.
Optimatics provides a complete mobile workforce management solution for the entire process of service delivery, from scheduling, workflow driven mobile applications through to vehicle tracking. It provides Arcus’s administrative employees a more consistent approach to working, which enables them to plan reactive jobs more efficiently, by sending accurate customer data directly to the Aeromark mobile application.
Roger Marks, Managing Director of Aeromark said “We are very pleased with the results from the deployment at Arcus Solutions who have not only enthusiastically embraced the technology but also the associated changes in business process. We look forward to working with Arcus on the next phase of the wider project.”
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Dec 02, 2015 • News • Autonomous cars • Connected cars • Juniper Research • driverless cars • self-driving cars • Technology
A new study from Juniper Research forecasts almost 20 million fully autonomous or self-driving vehicles on the road by 2025, with consumer adoption set to take off in 2021. These driverless cars will, however, represent only 1% of all vehicles on...
A new study from Juniper Research forecasts almost 20 million fully autonomous or self-driving vehicles on the road by 2025, with consumer adoption set to take off in 2021. These driverless cars will, however, represent only 1% of all vehicles on the roads.
Driven by increased safety and convenience for drivers, development has progressed to live trials with North America and West Europe set to become the first to witness driverless cars in use on the road.
The research found that in the interim, consumer usage of ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance System) technologies such as adaptive cruise control and automated braking will become key. It argued that these systems will serve to prepare drivers for the psychological change from the role of driving a car to operating a driverless car.
How to Monetise Driverless Cars?
The new research, Autonomous Vehicles: Adoption, Regulation & Business Models 2015-2025, finds that although the market has progressed to live trials, a discernible monetisation strategy has not become evident. Stakeholders are currently investigating multiple business models with manufacturers expected to engage in product licensing, self-production or open sourcing the systems.
Top 5 Players Driving the Market
Juniper Research ranked the top 5 most promising players in the driverless car sector. They were scored on a number of key factors such as: live trials; miles tested on road; technology development; project scale and scope; future potential and market opportunities. The rankings were: Google, Volvo, Daimler, Tesla and Apple. Google was ranked as the most promising player, having been in development the longest and having logged the highest amount of autonomous miles on public roads.
Dealing with Dilemmas
The research noted that concerns over the decision making capabilities of these systems have been raised and questions have been asked about the decisions autonomous vehicles would take when presented with the Trolley Problem, where the autonomous car will be forced to choose between two disastrous outcomes.
The Juniper study argued that the siloed nature of technology development requires stakeholders to collaborate and ensure a minimum level of safety for those in the hands of autonomous driving systems.
The report forms part of Juniper’s ongoing analysis of Connected Cars & Telematics.
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