Wireless Services

Wireless integration projects require a comprehensive mix of carrier and network knowledge, in-depth understanding of performance enhancing software applications, and an experienced design and installation crew. Security and reliability are key factors, as is an appropriate service offering to aid the enterprise in project rollout.

USAT wireless services include:

• Mobile platform identification, configuration, and installation
  
  
• WAN Carrier identification, radio selection, activation, and installation
  
  
• WLAN network design, site surveys, and installation
  
  
• Middleware identification, selection, and installation
  
  
• Network Switching and Management product identification, selection, and installation
  
  
• Comprehensive wireless project rollout services

Mobile Platform Identification, Configuration, and Installation

Selecting the right mobile platform for your field force is the first step in your mobile automation project. USAT is an award winning Panasonic TP3 dealer that focuses on providing the right Toughbook platform and configuration for your application(s).

And while not every Toughbook is designed to be as ultra-rugged as the Toughbook 27, Toughbook 28 or Toughbook 34, tests like the MIL-STD-810F help us to understand how to design all of our Toughbooks with the best focus on durability features for the type of user and work conditions. The information below describes the tests used to measure Toughbook durability.

The Panasonic Toughbook notebook line features:

• Integrated GSM/GPRS, and CDMA WWAN communication technologies
  
  
• Integrated WLAN options and GPS for AVL application support. USAT is well versed and experienced on the implementation of these various wireless technologies and will assist your organization in realizing the incredible ROI that a wireless solution can provide.
  
  
• Compatible vehicle port replicators
  
  
• Pass through RF capabilities for external antenna use
  
  
• Appropriate power components for reliability and longevity

WAN Carrier Identification and Radio Selection

USAT has invested significant energies and personnel to understand the vast options in the Public Wide Area Network carrier market. We hold active data certifications with all popular network providers, and can provide rate plan information, coverage details, and devices required for particular networks. Our in-depth knowledge of each network provider, technology in use, and real world operating facts allow your organization to make a decision with all relevant information available. USAT can speak to the competitive advantages of the each hardware device, as well as provide real world examples of how a given option will affect your field force operation.

Carrier selection requires a comprehensive and diligent understanding of the various carrier coverage areas. USAT keeps abreast of coverage areas by:

• Constant communications with each carrier on coverage enhancements as they occur
  
  
• Querying each carrier for future network enhancements in coverage, so your organization can plan accordingly

Process

• Assess your organization’s operational footprint and discover geographically compatible carrier options
  
  
• Collect a list of all required coverage areas, and examine each carrier in order to find the best performance options with a cost-effective rate plan.  This process may determine that a multi-carrier solution is the most cost effective for your organization and provides the most comprehensive coverage footprint. Since various business units may have different uses for a given technology, a multiple rate plan may be the most cost effective solution for your enterprise
  
  
• Select optimal RF radio for carrier(s)

There are many manufacturers and options for radio designs, from integrated devices to trunk-mounted solutions: the needs of your field force will dictate the appropriate radio style. For integrated radio designs, selection of required boosters and external antenna designs will directly affect performance and worker efficiencies. If a trunk-mounted solution is desired, the correct mounting hardware and antenna selection will insure troublefree use of each device, with minimal points of failure.

Activation Services

Whether the WAN device is an integrated radio in a Panasonic Toughbook, or an external trunk mount unit, proper attention to detail is required at the time of installation to insure the highest level of performance for your wireless enabled devices. The use of external antenna technology coupled with the integrated antennas in the Toughbook line allow for superior reception whether the device is securely mounted in your vehicle, or roaming outside of your vehicle. USAT has installed a broad range of antenna styles depending upon the specific project needs. Equally important in the installation phase is consideration of the vehicle charging system capabilities, and how to protect the vehicle reliability while utilizing multiple devices. USAT specializes in utilization of application specific chargeguard devices and other custom device specific DC adapters based on project needs.

USAT Activation Service Advantages:

• Cost Reduction -- USAT’s capability to activate WAN radios on your schedule reduces overall costs. Since USAT collects your MIN/ESN and other information at the time of platform shipment, we save your staff the time of tracking all these numbers which are required for activation
  
  
• Staged Rollout Process -- Unlike the wholesale activation process most carriers offer, USAT will activate only the devices you need when you need them in a staged rollout process
  
  
• Time Savings – USAT will re-initialize devices which experience trouble at time of activation, thus saving your IT staff immeasurable time contacting major carriers technical support lines

WLAN Network Design, Site Surveys, and Installation

Wireless LAN technology is changing fast, experiencing technological adoption rates that rival few others. USAT can provide wireless LAN designs utilizing 802.11b DSSS, FHSS technologies; or other WLAN technologies in the 5.8GHz range. USAT is a market leader in choosing the right technology and band for your application.

USAT:

• Relies on appropriate antenna selection and RF propagation knowledge to design performance leading WLAN solutions today, and includes appropriate lightning and environmental protection components to safeguard your investment
  
  
• Utilizes our own site survey and installation crews who have years of experience in 802.11b and similar RF deployments
  
  
• Leverages Integrated Wireless Knowledge – As a Panasonic Premiere Partner (TP3), we know what is required to get the most out of your 802.11b enabled Panasonic Toughbook notebook, and put that knowledge to use during the design phase
  
  
• A comprehensive site survey regiment validates the concepts implemented during the design phase so your eventual WLAN installation goes smoothly and efficiently. This attention to detail allows USAT installed RF networks to outperform industry alternatives – providing your organization with a competitive advantage

Middleware Identification, Selection, and Installation

Wireless WAN networks provide through-put ranging from 14.4kbps – 144kbps, depending upon the network. Middleware is essential in providing reliable, efficient usage of the airwaves to provide enhanced data transfer rates, with user modifiable options for content delivery. While comprehensive enterprise applications like Viryanet incorporate middleware functionality, this comprehensive type of application is not always in production. Typical middleware applications function by making a protocol conversion at the host and client end, and utilizing non IP-based protocols to move data more efficiently than the IP protocol will allow. That non-IP-based data is then reassembled at the client end and served to the platform as IP-based data.

USAT has a comprehensive lineup of available middleware applications tailored to specific project requirements. From simple application needs like browsing acceleration; to comprehensive IP application acceleration and content metering, USAT can provide proven applications to take your field force to the next level.

Once selected, allow USAT to install the required application through the use of in-house or manufacturer contracted network engineers. USAT provides a wide range of installation options for your middleware needs.

When implementing multiple wireless networks within a field force project, management of network costs and speeds becomes a primary concern. With partners like Padcom, USAT can put an application in place that allows your organization to create network switching policies based on network cost, speed, availability, and usability. Network technologies incorporated within a solution can be private 800Mhz RD-LAP networks, IDEN, GSM/GPRS, CDMA WWAN, or even satellite networks. Benefits of a switching solution like Total Roam come in the form of network authentication and security capabilities, as well as reduced network data costs. Allow USAT to partner with your organization to define and implement the security your organization requires, while allowing the field workers an easy to use and cost effective platform.

Network management of devices and resources is also a critical component of a wireless automation project. USAT can recommend the right applications to allow management of critical parameters like driver releases, mapping databases, application revisions, or even system reboots on the remote platform automatically, based on user defined parameters. This cost saving feature of a USAT wireless rollout will allow your IT department to keep all fielded systems current with any required updates, without needing to remove the systems from the vehicle. This translates to a lower cost of maintenance since there is no need to touch every machine in a mobile fleet. Even Sierra Wireless radios are capable of remote monitoring and firmware revisions given the required applications are in place.

Wireless Antenna Selection and Installation

Perhaps one of the most overlooked components of a mobile wireless project is the physical mounting of the platforms and various radios, antennas, printers, and power components within the vehicle. Once the wireless infrastructure has been selected, getting the most out of a wireless configuration depends upon the selected antennas. External antennas offer improved connectivity, but should also provide some amount of gain. Whether WAN or LAN, USAT can provide usage specific antenna designs to meet even the most complicated of configurations through the use of dual and try-mode antennas, cellular antennas with GPS, or 802.11 tuned 2.4GHz antennas. Equally important in specific projects may be the need for out of vehicle data transmissions and GPS location data.

USAT has the experience required to define the most cost effective and job specific configuration to fit your needs, while providing your field force with user-friendly operations. USAT will help maximize your field force efficiency through proper configuration design and appropriate software components.

Completing a large enterprise wireless rollout can pose quite a burden on enterprise IT departments. USAT has designed a comprehensive service offering that can ease and shorten the rollout phase of any project. Key service offerings include, but are not limited to:

• System asset tagging and tracking
  
  
• Platform imaging and archiving
  
  
• System boot and burn-in services
  
  
• Wireless device activations
  
  
• Hot spare and contract service programs
  
  
• Inventory consignment services
  
  
• Accessory consignment services
  
  
• Activation services on the wireless radios provide “as needed” rollout activations
  
  
• Re-initialization services
  
  
• ESN or EID tracking and re-activation services
  
  
• Wireless billing consultation
  
  
• End to end in-vehicle testing services

Integrated Wireless vs. Trunk Mount vs. PCMCIA Devices

Integrated Wireless Devices – Panasonic Toughbooks are wireless ready with multiple WWAN/WLAN technologies integrated into the computers.

Integrated Devices
Integrated RF radios provide multiple benefits in a ruggedized environment:

• The Panasonic Toughbook platform is FCC tested for all forms of available RF radios. This testing assures that regardless of the RF combinations integrated in your specific platform, the platform will not incur any degradation of performance with multiple RF technologies in place
  
  
• FCC testing allows for specific antenna and radio tuning achieving the highest sensitivity with no interference from other installed technologies. This results in the highest possible performance envelope for all integrated devices. An integrated RF device also will utilize an appropriate antenna tuned specifically for the RF device
  
  
• An integrated device allows Panasonic to provide pass-through antenna capabilities, allowing USAT to specify the appropriate external antenna style and design for your fleet and providing the highest performance for your users. USAT can even provide dual mode antennas for effective single antenna mounting in support of multiple RF technologies
  
  
• No loss in chassis integrity. Since the Toughbooks offer a fully ruggedized chassis design, no contaminants can enter the platform and cause damage through the use of an integrated RF device
  
  
• No removable antennas or antenna extension cables that could prove to be a point of failure in a vehicle mounted mobile application
  
  
• Integrated devices allow for out of vehicle use of the chosen WWAN technology, while still utilizing external vehicle antennas while mounted in-vehicle

Key aspects of a USAT Toughbook wireless project include:

• Appropriate carrier and wireless WAN technology for your field force.
  
  
• Selection of the appropriate WLAN technology for your project needs.
  
  
• Identification of the method of AVL tracking and hosting needs
  
  
• Configuration of the WAN, LAN, and GPS enabled platform
  
  
• Design of WAN/LAN/GPS antenna options for greatest WAN/LAN performance
  
  
• Selection of required middleware and switching applications
  
  
• Design of a custom industry leading mounting system for your fleet
  
  
• Complete assortment of project rollout services
  
  
• Coordinating delivery and installation services of the required hardware
  
  
• Activation of WAN devices on your schedule, not ours
  
  
• First line of support for all integrated project products
  
  
• Complete asset tagging and tracking with optional warranty services

Trunk mounted
RF technologies provide an option for enabling fleet vehicle use of WWAN technologies. Benefits of trunk mounted RF technologies with the Panasonic Toughbooks:

• Panasonic Toughbook chassis integrity is compromised since the PCMCIA access door must remain open. This can allow for contaminants to enter the laptop chassis and cause failure.
  
  
• PCMCIA devices are not ruggedized devices. Constant vibrations can affect their longevity.
  
  
• PCMCIA devices feature antennas or antenna adapter cables that cause points of failure in a mobile environment.
  
  
• Use of external antennas require loose cables and insertion of sub-SMA style connectors that can be easily damaged, resulting in a loss of productivity.
  
  
• Removal of the wireless enabled platform utilizing external antennas would require removal of cable for external antenna, and insertion of the primary antenna. This antenna is a point of failure since it cannot be secured to platform and can be lost.
  
  
• Since PCMCIA devices are tested in a vacuum apart from other components required in your solution, device conflicts and RF interference issues are common.
  
  
• Corporate investments in technology are more prone to theft since they can be easily removed from the device.