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BROADBEAM SELECTED TO PROVIDE WIRELESS PLATFORM FOR CSX TRANSPORTATION
Custom Application Designed to Facilitate Real-Time Communication for Train
Conductors Resulting in Greater Accuracy and Efficiencies
Cranbury, NJ, April 22, 2003 - Broadbeam Corporation, a company with more
than 10 years of expertise in developing mission-critical mobile solutions
for enterprise customers, announces that CSX Transportation, the core
business unit of CSX Corporation and operator of the largest rail network in
the eastern United States, has selected the company's ExpressQ® Wireless
Platform to facilitate its Wireless Work Order application for train
conductors. The custom-built solution by CSX Technology will enable
approximately 950 train conductors to report on their work progress in
real-time throughout the day via ruggedized, touch screen devices.
Designed for use by local and yard job conductors who are responsible for
delivering and pulling railcars during the course of their shift, the
Wireless Work Order will replace a more time-consuming paper and
facsimile-based reporting process when it's officially deployed in July. CSX
is currently piloting the solution.
According to CSX, there were a number of determining factors when selecting
a mobile platform provider. Broadbeam's ability to offer seamless network
switching from the CSX local area network (LAN) to 1xRTT or GPRS wide area
networks (WANs) was critical, as well as the software's capability to store
and forward messages based on coverage. For example, when a conductor is
out of coverage, data is stored locally on the device and when coverage is
re-established, the data is automatically forwarded.
"One of the immediate benefits to the Wireless Work Order solution is that
CSX will be able to provide more accurate tracking data to our customers
regarding specific railcars that have been pulled or placed during the
course of the day," said Josh Putterman, General Manager, Event Reporting,
CSX Transportation. "This will result from the ability of the conductors to
report their work progress wirelessly throughout the day, rather than
waiting until the end of their shift to fax a completed Work Order to our
Customer Operations Center. "
How the Solution Works
At the start of each shift, CSX train conductors will logon to their device
to retrieve their work order, which describes the tasks to be accomplished
that day. This information is downloaded to the device while it is in the
docking station and connected to the LAN via Ethernet. When the conductor
removes the device from its docking station, connectivity will seamlessly
switch to the wireless 1xRTT or GPRS network.
Throughout the day, conductors will report their scheduled work progress on
the work order, as well as any additional work they've accomplished. This
includes identifying what cars have been pulled, placed or moved around a
customer's location and at what time. The conductor can also note when a car
on the work order was not on his train. When the shift is complete, the
conductor simply replaces the unit in the docking station for recharging.
About ExpressQ
Broadbeam's ExpressQ Wireless Platform is a wireless messaging server that
enables users to rapidly extend applications to a mobile workforce. It
provides reliable and secure wireless communications, network and device
independence, and enables a great user experience even when out of coverage
or disconnected.
ExpressQ extends enterprise applications and Web content to users of
intelligent client devices, ensuring that mobile workforces always receive
critical corporate information by temporarily storing wireless messages for
out-of-coverage users and then forwarding them when they return to coverage
areas. It also supports real-time interactive communications when both
sides are connected and messaging may be initiated from the client or
server.
About Broadbeam
Broadbeam Corporation (www.broadbeam.com) is the leader in delivering proven
mobility solutions to enterprises that need their employees, customers and
partners to be integrated into business processes. Broadbeam's products and
services enable companies around the world to design, develop and deploy
mobile applications with ease.
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