MIAMI, Aug. 14, 2001 – APSà¢â€ž-, Arizona’s largest electric utility, has selected ClientSoftà¢â€ž-‘s ClientBuilderà¢â€ž- middleware technology to develop a mobile dispatch and reporting application that will enable technicians to have real-time access to reported equipment trouble information while in the field using state-of-the-art wireless data networks and mobile computers.
Currently, communication from the APS dispatch center to field technicians is via voice radio. This new system will provide the technician with a mobile notebook computer that will receive equipment trouble reports directly routed from the central mainframe-based dispatch application by the ClientBuilder middleware. Using a graphical user interface, the technician can view details about the outage and then update the trouble report during and following completion of repairs. The updated report is then transmitted back to the middleware server, which posts the updates to the mainframe work order tracking systems.
Transmission of trouble reports to/from the mobile technicians is supported by a variety of IP based data networks available within the Phoenix metropolitan area and across the State. In remote regions where coverage may not be present, the trouble ticket information will remain resident on the mobile notebook until the truck passes into a coverage area, at which time, data communications will resume between the truck and dispatch center automatically.
APS expects to begin the deployment of this new system starting in the fourth quarter of 2001.
About APS
APS, Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves more than 857,000 customers in 11 of the state’s 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the largest subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. www.pinnaclewest.com .
About ClientSoft
ClientSoft has been in the business of providing e-business solutions for legacy systems since 1987. ClientSoft offers e-solutions that open the door to all the benefits of today’s client/server, Internet and wireless technologies. Clients include Fortune 1000 companies, universities and government entities. www.clientsoft.com .
