SHECO's technical consultant, Leo Hopper explains, "Our linemen are using Oracle Utilities Mobile Workforce Management applications out in the field and because we were using Dataradio we needed the Radio IP software to maintain constant and seamless contact."

Radio IP Software's Director of Business Development David Torres describes filling the need, "In the utilities sector, keeping customers satisfied is all about ensuring that personnel have timely access to information -particularly when you're dealing with problems like power outages." In the past, lower bandwidth networks made it impractical to use data-rich IP applications, which sometimes overloaded and crashed the system. Radio IP MTG(TM) uses a patented Optimised TCP/IP protocol that can increase network performance up to 154 times faster with some file types. According to Torres, "Utilities clients like SHECO deal with similar problems such as signal loss caused by geography, tunnels, buildings or simply distance from transmission towers. Radio IP MTG(TM) automatically reconnects devices after a signal interruption, seamlessly roams between networks and keeps the socket connection open so no data is lost. SHECO needs to maintain contact with 50 or more linemen working across ten vast Texas counties, so our product was the right choice for them."

Ease of installation and implementation was another important consideration for an electric utility operating on a 24/7 basis. Hopper says, "The initial configuration probably took a week but that included the Dataradio piece. There weren't any issues except some tweaking here and there. As far as the operations guys were concerned, they weren't affected one way or the other because the applications worked fine thanks to the Radio IP Software product."

In addition to Radio IP MTG(TM), SHECO installed GPS Partner, a format-independent solution that integrates GPS data no matter the source format, protocol or device from which the data originates. The result makes all GPS data usable in every mobile application. It's precisely what SHECO needed to assure that its linemen could continue doing their jobs without interruption or retraining.

Hopper explains, "Right now we're sending the GPS that's built into the Dataradio modem to 2 applications. The linemen are getting the GPS information locally and then the network -- their mobile workforce management application in the vehicles -- is getting the GPS information in NMEA format on the Radio IP server. That's probably why GPS Partner(TM) was so well received by our linemen -- they couldn't tell one way or the other -- except that all the information and data they need is continuously available and easily accessed."

Radio IP MTG(TM) and GPS Partner have been serving SHECO's voice and data communication needs for more than one year and the utility's satisfaction is unwavering. "It has surpassed what we needed because it solved the problem with no issues. When you install and implement software that you have never dealt with before and it does exactly what you expect it to do with no problems whatsoever -- that's a good thing," says Hopper.

When David Torres asked Hopper if he thought Radio IP MTG and GPS Partner would be beneficial to other utility companies, SHECO's technical consultant is emphatic: "Yes, most definitely. If they were in our predicament where you have an IP type of software solution coming in and you didn't want to change your communications infrastructure ... "  

Keywords: broadband wireless, high-speed Internet access, workforce management applications, mobile workforce management, sam houston electric cooperative, oracle utilities, sheco, bandwidth networks, david torres, critical voice, using oracle, system radio, initial configuration, signal loss, Wireless Security