The Message You Can’t Miss

Consultants who work for systems integration firm DataLan Corp. spend virtually all their time on the road, and that used to create problems.

If a customer of the White Plains, NY-based company wanted to reach his or her contact, or one consultant sought help from another in order to solve a customer problem, the best way to make contact was to send a message to the rep’s pager.

But receipt of a message didn’t automatically ensure a quick response.

If the consultant was in transit or otherwise unreachable, it could be hours or even a full day before the customer’s question was answered. In the meantime, the customer’s needs weren’t being met as quickly as expected, problems escalated, and satisfaction suffered as a result. But that situation was reversed in January when DataLan distributed Blackberry wireless handheld systems to all of its traveling employees.

The device – manufactured by Research in Motion, Waterloo, Ontario – not only substantially increased DataLan’s customer responsiveness and reduced the company’s cell phone charges by 80%, it also completely eliminated pagers and significantly increased employee efficiency. Today, boasts Dennis Lottero, DataLan’s vice president of marketing, “No customer goes longer than five minutes before receiving an e-mail response to a question.”

Blackberry looks very similar to a pager but is many times more empowering. Once it’s on, it’s automatically connected to a company’s network, and maintains no software locally. “The fact that it’s directly connected to your network is a major benefit over competitive products,” Lottero explains, “because there’s no downloading or connecting time involved.” There’s no learning curve either, he notes, since the software resides on the network.

The system consists of a 386 computer processor with 2 megabytes of RAM. It has a full alphanumeric keyboard for typing messages. Companies use it to read from, write to, edit and query existing corporate databases and knowledgebases. “And that’s a flaw in the whole wireless business,” Lottero explains. “Engineers are always saying, let’s put a thin version of the program onto the hardware. But then users have to plug it in, boot up and download the new information to the desktop application. None of that is necessary with Blackberry because it’s always connected. It works as if you were sitting at your desktop computer.” The only thing Blackberry can’t do, he notes, is connect to a printer or fax.

The system runs off BellSouth’s digital wireless network, but there are never any roaming charges. If a user isn’t near a BellSouth cell site, he can enter the data, hit send, and stick the device in his pocket. As soon as Blackberry comes within the proper distance of a BellSouth cell site, the information automatically transmits right from inside the pocket. (BellSouth has cell sites across North America and is currently expanding into South America, Asia and Europe.)

The wireless handheld system has allowed DataLan – which also serves as a Blackberry reseller – to call on consultants based on their area of expertise, rather than by who’s available at a given time. “If someone is an expert in one area and we have an issue in that subject, we can simply e-mail him, and he can respond immediately – whether he’s in a meeting, at a conference or on a plane,” Lottero notes. “Or we can say, `Where are you right now? I’ll meet you in front of the Smith Building in five minutes.'”

While Blackberry devices won’t replace laptops, they will change the way they’re used. “One of the biggest challenges for companies with field support reps is getting them to update information to their laptops, then take the time to plug in and go through the upload process. Since many are unwilling, data isn’t kept up to date,” says Lottero. “This eliminates that problem. I would venture to guess that 70% of mobile professionals could use this and do without laptops altogether.”

It took DataLan about six weeks to customize Blackberry to meet the company’s needs, and ROI was achieved in less than three months. DataLan’s next step is to integrate Blackberry with its contact management system. This will link field service records with help desk incident reports to form a more complete view of customer history.

According to Lottero, there are no competing products that offer direct network connections. But session-based wireless products (that require a modem link) include the Palm 7 and a product by Casio.

Financial services companies were the first to latch onto the concept of wireless handheld computers. For example, through its Instant Broker service, Fidelity Investments offers its best customers the ability to execute orders, set triggers, receive quotes and maintain account balances in real time.

But while other vertical markets have been slow to follow, the possibilities are endless. Imagine these scenarios: A retail item you need is out of stock. Instead of sending you off with apologies, the salesperson pulls a wireless handheld computer out of his pocket and, with the push of a few buttons, locates the product at a branch 25 miles away. He enters your credit card number into the device and schedules delivery directly to your home.

Or you’re an insurance claims adjuster. You’ve just written an estimate at the scene of an accident and entered it into your company’s computer system through your handheld wireless computer. A minute later, the customer realizes she forgot to answer a vital question, but you’ve already left, so she calls your toll-free number. After entering the claim number into her phone, the estimate is loaded onto the service rep’s screen.

And picture walking through a used car lot and seeing a car that interests you. The salesperson inputs the vehicle’s sticker number into her handheld device and retrieves the car’s entire service and driving history. Without leaving the lot, she also fills out your loan request and submits it directly to the bank, with a promise of an answer within 24 hours.

Police officers could retrieve an arrest victim’s complete criminal history from the road. Paramedics could download medical histories at the scene of an accident. Physicians could adjust one patient’s care through e-mail interaction with nursing staff while operating on another patient. And bank customers could check balances and pay bills while commuting to work.

“Any company that would benefit by providing mobile professionals with access to customer data would be an ideal candidate for a wireless handheld computer,” says Dennis Lottero, vice president of marketing for consultancy DataLan Corp., White Plains, NY.

As we become an increasingly more mobile society, handheld computers will allow us to stay better connected.