Southern LINC®, the first iDEN® wireless communications provider to offer packet data and Internet services, today introduces Informance SolutionsSM throughout its 127,000-square-mile coverage area. The initial suite of services includes a wireless Internet dispatching service, Vehicle Location Services (VLS) and a public safety/law enforcement application. Available mid-November, My LINC business services will enable users to send and receive e-mail; view and update address book information; and log on to the Internet for weather reports, news headlines and stock quotes, directly from their handset. Informance Solutions pricing starts at $35 per user per month. Informance Solutions are available through three Motorola Internet-ready handsets - the i1000plus™, i500plus™ and the new rugged i700plus™ multi-service devices, which are equipped with the UP.Browser™ Internet microbrowser from Phone.com. In addition, two data-only wireless modems, the Motorola iO1000™ and iM1000™, and a mobile communications platform for VLS, called Diplomat™, from Darby Corporate Solutions, Inc. will be available. Offered in conjunction with Southern LINC's integrated Instant LINCSM (two-way radio), digital phone and paging services, Informance Solutions helps mobile businesses and public safety agencies maximize efficiency and improve productivity through the following applications.
Wireless Internet Dispatching Services: Southern LINC has signed a licensing agreement with eDispatch.com Wireless Data Inc. (VSE: EWD) to provide access to eDispatch, a wireless Internet dispatch system. Using eDispatch through Southern LINC's Informance Solutions, businesses with mobile fleets can manage work orders and track job flow more efficiently. Job details can be sent directly to a worker's Internet-ready iDEN handset and, using the handset's keypad, the worker can enter and send status updates and job completion reports from the field. This allows the worker to know job details and inventory before he enters a job site, reducing confusion and multiple calls back to the office for clarification. In addition, the worker can file paperwork and billing information through his handset, eliminating the need to return to the office and allowing for more productive use of time. With eDispatch, users have access to the benefits of a managed and connected mobile workforce at a fraction of the cost of traditional CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) systems. Unlimited access to eDispatch is $100 per user per month.
Vehicle Location Services: Southern LINC has signed a licensing agreement with Data on Air, Inc. to offer Web-based Vehicle Location Services to businesses with large and small fleets, such as trucking and delivery companies. Using VLS, dispatchers can monitor the location, speed and direction of their company vehicles through the combined power of Southern LINC service, economical GPS (Global Positioning System) transceivers, the Internet and their desktop computers. VLS consists of a device called Diplomat that records GPS data at regular intervals throughout the day and transmits it through the iO1000 or iM1000 modem or a Motorola Internet-ready handset to the Southern LINC network. The data is then sent through the Southern LINC network to a high-availability Web server, which Data On Air operates as part of the agreement.
The Web servers and software provide periodic real-time map displays of vehicles as they move throughout Southern LINC's coverage area. By viewing the location of vehicles on a map posted to the business' private VLS Web page, provided as part of VLS service, dispatchers can ensure drivers are on route to designated locations and easily identify vehicles closest to new jobs as they arise. Since the dispatcher uses a standard Web browser to view vehicle location information, fleet operators do not need to install special hardware or software at their dispatch centers. Benefits include on-time efficiency, on-route compliance, periodic real-time tracking, post-route analysis, improved security and driver safety, and improved stolen vehicle recovery. Unlimited access to VLS is $40 per user per month.
Public Safety/Law Enforcement Services: Southern LINC has signed a joint marketing agreement with Cerulean Technology, Inc. to offer PacketCluster® Patrol™, a wireless information solution created for the public safety market. As a result, officers can have direct, wireless access to information stored in national, state and local databases such as NCIC, NLETS and DMV. This access helps to increase officer safety, lighten dispatcher workload and improve efficiency. By using a laptop connected to a Southern LINC-powered Motorola iM1000 modem or a Motorola Internet-ready handset, officers can initiate their own inquiries from laptop computers in their patrol cars or emergency vehicles. With rapid access to key elements of vehicle and owner information, officers will be better equipped in the field and empowered to be more productive in day-to-day operations. PacketCluster Patrol supports silent and encrypted data transmission for fast, reliable and secure data exchange. To help meet strict public safety audit and report requirements, PacketCluster Patrol time-stamps and records all information sent from the mobile computer to the headquarters server, making it easy to generate detailed reports. Unlimited access to the Southern LINC Informance Solutions network for PacketCluster Patrol is $75 per user per month. PacketCluster Patrol is licensed separately from Cerulean.
My LINC Business Services: Southern LINC has signed a licensing agreement with Phone.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: PHCM) to leverage the MyPhone mobile portal platform. This agreement enables Southern LINC to offer My LINC, a wireless Internet portal which allows users to access business services such as news headlines, weather reports and stock quotes; view and update their address book; and send and receive e-mail using any Internet-ready computer or Motorola Internet-ready handset. The MyPhone mobile portal platform from Phone.com provides a framework for aggregation, presentation, personalization and delivery of Internet based content and wireless-network integrated applications to microbrowser-enabled wireless phones. Unlimited access to My LINC is $35 per user per month.
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