IntelliWhere Launches Mobile Workforce Starter Kit to Accelerate Data Automation for Field Crews

Limited time offer - turnkey software solution debuts worldwide at CTIA Wireless IT and Internet and InterGEO exhibitions

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., October 16, 2002 - IntelliWhere(TM), a division of Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions, today launched the new Mobile Workforce Starter Kit, an out-of-the-box solution that enables organizations to automate the delivery and use of spatial and asset data to field crews using personal digital assistants (PDAs). Debuting today at global exhibitions CTIA and InterGEO, the starter kit provides a discounted software bundle of industry-proven PDA mapping and GIS management tools - IntelliWhere OnDemand, IntelliWhere LocationServer, and Intergraph's GeoMedia(R) software - for the rapid deployment of spatial intelligence for any organization with a mobile workforce. The limited-time-offer starter kit is specifically designed to provide an easy and efficient way for government, transportation, utilities, and military organizations to experience the technological and economic benefits of automating a mobile workforce. Empowering field personnel with PDA geospatial technology can improve an organization's responsiveness to customer demands, equip field crews to implement more intuitive solutions, and streamline data capture from the field - factors that can improve an organization's service while controlling cost.

Attendees at CTIA, a global event for the wireless, mobile computing, and Internet industries, will get a first-hand look at demonstrations of mobile computing workflows that can be implemented with the Mobile Workforce Starter Kit by visiting IntelliWhere's booth in the Wireless Developer Pavilion (Booth 2224 3D). Intergraph GmbH will be demonstrating the starter kit at its Terra.City booth (Hall 9.0 Stand F15) at InterGEO, the world's leading trade fair for geodesy, geoinformatics, and land management.

Lee Finniear, managing director of IntelliWhere, said that the starter kit is an attractive offer, particularly for organizations with large mobile workforces. "IntelliWhere is addressing a critical need in this market - that of helping organizations transition to a mobile workforce empowered with access to computing power and intelligent geospatial information in the field. The Mobile Workforce Starter Kit provides reliable, easy-to-use, high-performance technologies bundled together to kick start an organization's automation project for their field crews at significant cost and time savings. Once again, we are leading the industry with affordable solutions that give our customers the maximum benefits of mobile computing in a geospatial enterprise environment."

Empowering the field for better responsiveness

The Mobile Workforce Starter Kit provides extensive open tools that connect field personnel with corporate data - such as intelligent maps, diagrams, and asset information - that is critical to job performance. Examples of how the starter kit can be applied to deliver improved performance by a mobile workforce in multiple industry scenarios include:

-- Homeland Security - Emergency call center staff simply press a button within the existing dispatch software to deliver relevant mapping and critical asset data to first responders. Firefighters access and view data such as building floor plans and flow rates for hydrants on PDAs before they reach the scene. This allows the crew to predetermine which hydrants will provide the necessary pressure for the job rather than having to run physical checks, thus saving time. They can also request further assistance such as support from hazardous material crews.

-- Utilities - In the event of a broken water main, dispatch personnel relay information to the field crew's PDA, providing location and asset data such as the street address, pipe and road network, and work history of the pipe. IntelliWhere OnDemand speeds the crew's visual inspection and then allows them to determine whether they should fix or replace the pipe. Further customized automation allows the crew to initiate an urgent request to maintenance crews.

-- Transportation - Using IntelliWhere OnDemand, a road sign team inspects signage along a particular route. While performing the inspection, the team edits and verifies accurate information for each road sign using a job-specific application previously created by their IT department. The field team then uploads the captured and edited data to the organization's GIS.

Automated field data delivery

The Mobile Workforce Starter Kit builds on the company's recently released IntelliWhere OnDemand software. The GIS specialist does not have to manually extract data from corporate systems for each field user. The delivery of data is automated, thus freeing up valuable resources and minimizing the paperwork needed to support a mobile workforce. Automation can occur either by mobile workers requesting information themselves and having it delivered to their hand-held device or by job dispatch/call center staff extracting data at the press of a button for delivery to the field. Mobile workers then use IntelliWhere OnDemand to view and update corporate mapping and asset data, and send updates back to the corporate system.

For enterprises where real-time information delivery is not critical, the starter kit can be implemented without the use of wireless technology. Network synchronization and e-mail are reliable and easy-to-use alternatives that allow field crews to download data to their PDAs and connect again to synchronize their field updates with the corporate system.

Although IntelliWhere OnDemand can be deployed as an off-the-shelf product, custom applications such as inspection and installation reports can be quickly and easily created using the product's API and industry standard tools to further support existing business workflows.

Special bundle available until December 31, 2002 Available as a cost-saving bundled offer until December 31, 2002, the Mobile Workforce Starter Kit includes:

-- One license of IntelliWhere LocationServer 5.0 - This server-side platform provides the automated data extract functionality. The license in the starter kit supports up to 50 mobile clients.

-- Five licenses of IntelliWhere OnDemand 5.0 - This PDA software provides a field crew with the capability to view and update corporate mapping and asset data.

-- One license of GeoMedia 5.0 or GeoMedia Professional 5.0 - These products act as a complete, interactive visual authoring environment for data to be transferred to a PDA. This advanced system preserves many behavioral characteristics of the data enabling IntelliWhere OnDemand to maintain many of the characteristics of the source data. GeoMedia Professional 5.0 is available as an option to the starter kit beginning in November. Customers that require more advanced data editing capacity or wish to directly update Oracle, SQL server, or DB2 Spatial databases when uploading field data back into their GIS should select this option.

Free sample applications and data, along with how-to guides and white papers detailing workflows and industry examples, provide information and step-by-step guidelines for a rapid pilot implementation. The Mobile Workforce Starter Kit also offers one free registration for GeoSpatial World 2003, the Intergraph GeoSpatial Users Community International Training and Management Conference, providing customers with an opportunity to network with other GIS mobile computing users.

For more information

For more information about IntelliWhere products and the Mobile Workforce Starter Kit, visit www.intelliwhere.com.

IntelliWhere

IntelliWhereTM (www.intelliwhere.com) is a division of Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions. IntelliWhere's focus is on the rapidly growing location-based technology and services market. The division combines more than 30 years of experience in spatial and location-based technologies with a global infrastructure that supports the ability to implement solutions around the world. IntelliWhere is represented in more than 60 countries through Intergraph Corporation's wholly owned subsidiaries and distributor network.

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Intergraph and GeoMedia are registered trademarks and IntelliWhere is a trademark of Intergraph Corporation. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

EDITORS: IntelliWhere OnDemand product images and logos are available for downloading at www.intelliwhere.com/editors.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Rita Roberts, Media Relations, IntelliWhere Americas
+1-256-730-1430 or americas@intelliwhere.com 
Milan Usal, Worldwide Marketing Manager, IntelliWhere 
+ 61-2-9929-2888 or milan.usal@intelliwhere.com