Frontline goes mobile
September 1st 2007

Shire System's latest version of its Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) removes geographical boundaries to deliver full multi-site computerised maintenance management using a GPRS Smartphone or Pocket PC.

Frontline On the Move 2.10.5.2 frees engineers from the limits imposed by communicating via Local Area Networks (LAN) to provide nationwide, or worldwide, communication.

The previous LAN-based version of Frontline on the Move allowed engineers to move freely around a single site and to communicate with Frontline wirelessly, or via a USB or serial cradle attached to a LAN.

However, while this system offers significant advantages for single-site companies, wireless communication is viable only at a maximum distance of around 300 meters from the nearest LAN receiver, which limits its use in multi-site locations.

Frontline On the Move 2.10.5.2 breaks down these physical boundaries and allows engineers to communicate with the Frontline modules for maintenance management, work requests, stock control, and remote meter reading, via a GPRS Smartphone or Pocket PC.

Chris Williams, sales director of Shire Systems explained, "The beauty of the new Frontline on the Move is that it uses customers' existing mobile data contracts to deliver true multi-site communication for remote maintenance management for little more than the price of a text message." Frontline On The Move 2.10.5.2 requires only a subscription to a GPRS mobile data service, such as Vodaphone Live! or the O2 Mobile Web Service, and any mobile device with the Windows Mobile Operating System (OS). A designated back-office PC or server, located behind the customer's firewall and registered as a domain name, such as frontline@mycompany.co.uk, securely relays the information from Frontline to mobile device, where it can be accessed by the engineers in the field.

"This is a huge breakthrough in the accessibility and affordability of remote, multi-site maintenance management.

Frontline can now be used to reduce maintenance costs throughout entire national, or multi-national, corporations with very little investment in additional hardware or communication costs. The cost can be as little as £5 per engineer – it really is 'as cheap as chips!'" commented Chris Williams.

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