Software solution
Fortunately, such frustrations can now be avoided due to a breakthrough technology developed by NetmotionWireless. The company’s Mobility XE Mobile VPN (virtual private network) is designed to help companies maximize the security, productivity, and management of their mobile field workers who are using wireless technology.
In a recent interview with POWER in September, Pam Cory, the vice president of marketing at NetMotion Wireless, explained that with Mobility XE VPN, wireless field workers have secure, remote access to critical applications and information from virtually anywhere. Power plant personnel who use it can successfully handle the unique problems associated with mobile computing, such as wireless security, coverage gaps, roaming, performance, and handheld device support.
"Each case presents unique challenges for workers in a power facility," said Cory. "Coverage gaps, for example, can cause an application to lose data or fail altogether. The lack of roaming between networks (including different Wi-Fi networks on the same site) can force workers to focus on the device itself, instead of on their primary job. And the lack of central management capabilities makes it more difficult for IT managers to make sure that their mobile workers remain productive and secure."
According to Cory, the primary function of the mobile VPN is to provide secure connections to applications and company resources across wireless coverage gaps and across various networks. The mobile VPN itself is a client-server solution. This means that NetMotion’s software resides on a server within the power plant’s IT infrastructure, and a small application resides on a laptop, PDA, or smart phone. Together, this software package ensures that workers can securely access information despite difficult wireless coverage conditions (Figure 1).
1. Overcoming wireless woes. A mobile VPN provides seamless wireless coverage that prevents laptop computers, PDAs, and smart phones from crashing. Source: Netmotion Wireless
"Mobility XE insulates applications and data from a lost wireless connection," she said. "It does this by essentially ‘tricking’ the applications into thinking there is a stable wireless connection, even if there isn’t one. Wireless coverage isn’t always perfect (think dropped phone calls), so in our case, we make wireless computing more reliable by making it so that these dropped connections do not affect productivity. This is the core of NetMotion’s patented technology, which is used by more than 1,500 companies and agencies across the globe."
Cory explained that Mobility XE is typically deployed on a "ruggedized" laptop (one that has some level of protection against rough use), PDA, or smart phone, and can be used by both workers within a power plant or by field technicians who support power operations. According to Cory, the mobile VPN is more commonly used by workers who are highly mobile, spending the majority of their days addressing customer issues in the field, or repairing equipment at remote customer sites, but many corporations also use the software within a "campus setting."
According to Cory, one of the primary benefits of her company’s product is that using it requires little or no training. The software is brought into scenarios most frequently when wireless connections are presenting a productivity challenge. The challenges typically resolve themselves when Mobility XE VPN is used with the workers’ devices. She said that the company views a deployment as successful "when the worker doesn’t know our software is active, or ever interfaces with it."
"As a proportion of an overall wireless deployment (including access points, devices, Internet service, and customized applications), the software is a very small component of an overall wireless deployment," she commented. "That said, our software generally starts at $150 per ‘seat’ or device, with discounts based on size of deployment."
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