@Road Workflow Manager designed to streamline workflow processes and improve workforce efficiencies.
FREMONT, CA – December 14, 2004 – @Road (Nasdaq: ARDI), a leading provider of mobile resource management (MRM), and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM), a leader in mobile communications, are working together to develop @Road Workflow Manager for BlackBerry®. @Road Workflow Manager will help to streamline the mobile workflow process by identifying and automating communications between the field service representative and the mobile workforce supervisor. The solution is designed to use GPS auto-detection to minimize task reporting and data entry by the field representative, automatically update work status and location, and provide dynamic routing to the next job site.
“The ROI and workflow advantages of the push-based BlackBerry platform are already well recognized by customers for email and other enterprise applications. We think our collaboration with @Road and the introduction of location-based services for BlackBerry will significantly increase the potential for workflow enhancements and productivity gains in the field,” said Mark Guibert, vice president, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion.
“We believe that streamlining the process through auto-detecting the current status of field service professionals and their progression in the workflow process via BlackBerry creates an efficient, coherent, end-to-end solution that is easier to manage for both the field service manager and the field engineer,” said Krish Panu, president and CEO of @Road. “The combination of the BlackBerry platform and the @Road
Workflow Manager further advances the @Road vision of optimized service delivery flow and intelligent synchronization of mobile resource management delivering Quality of Experience and competitive advantage for businesses of all sizes.”
Offering seamless integration of dispatch, routing, navigation, and information flow, @Road Workflow Manager is being developed to automatically record job start and end times and locations based on dispatch messages and user behavior. When field service managers dispatch a new job, a message will automatically alert the worker that a new job has been assigned with an option to route the worker to the new job. Subsequently, based on the mobile worker’s current position, a dynamic map would be created to route the worker from present position to destination, actively and intelligently changing the map context as the worker proceeds along the specified route.
The solution is designed to provide application settings to define job start and end, as well as automatically update the job status when the field engineer reaches the assigned job location. T his feature is intended to provide more accurate and timely information to the field service manager, as well as save the field engineer’s time for more valuable customer service delivery.
The solution is also designed to provide field service managers the ability to use the business intelligence in the @Road Workflow Manager to generate real-time reports highlighting areas of interest specifically linked to the company’s business operations. The reports can include productivity detail such as job time, overtime, start and end times, mileage and travel time.
BlackBerry has already been deployed by thousands of enterprises and government agencies to keep their mobile professionals connected to the information and communications they need. It provides users with wireless access to a range of business information and voice communications – all from a single wireless device.
About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements.
Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo , Ontario , RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: RIMM) and the T oronto Stock Exchange ( TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
About @Road
@Road, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARDI) is a leading provider of mobile resource management (MRM) services, a rapidly growing category of productivity solutions integrating wireless communications, location technologies, hosted software applications, transaction processing and the Internet to help companies better manage mobile workers. Any size organization, in any industry or public sector, in which improving the productivity of mobile workers has an impact on revenue, expenses, customer service, and competitive advantage, will benefit from @Road MRM services. Because @Road offers MRM services on a hosted basis, customers avoid expensive and complex software and IT infrastructure investments. Since @Road delivers services on a subscription basis, customers can experience a rapid and measurable return-on-investment.
@Road delivers its MRM services to approximately 131,000 mobile workers in North America every day. The company has headquarters in Fremont , CA and secure networked data centers on both U.S. coasts. For more information, visit the @Road Web site at www.road.com.
