The city of Richmond, British Columbia, is three months into a project that involves the use of handhelds to monitor its water and sewage systems. For the city of 180,000, which is on an island, it's a critical application. The Canadian city is using software from AvantGo Inc. and Information Builders Inc. to monitor and analyze those field operations. Information Builders' Web Focus tools summarize and integrate the data across the city's database systems. This year, the newspaper plans to roll out an application on Symbol Technologies Inc. handheld devices, which run the Palm OS, to streamline the return of unsold papers at more than 15,000 locations in the Atlanta area.
Drivers spend hours managing the process by hand.
McKessonHBOC Inc., a major pharmaceuticals distributor, is using mobile technology to improve its delivery process. Every McKesson package is imprinted with a bar code that's scanned before and upon delivery. McKesson, which contracts with private companies for most of its truckers, resells the hardware to the truckers, then charges them a monthly fee for the software and maintenance. The company is also marketing the devices to customers who use one-way scanners to place orders. Since the Symbol devices permit two-way communication, customers can get instant confirmation and details on the status of their orders.