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| Energy provider Dalkia Selects Sun's mobile enterprise solution Sun Microsystems today announced that leading European energy services provider Dalkia has selected and deployed Sun's EME (Enabling the Mobile Enterprise) solution to increase the productivity and effectiveness of field services engineers by optimizing work processes. The goal was to reduce the need for paperwork and allow remote access to planning, electronic reporting, and optimizing heating/cooling systems using PDAs and wireless communications to Dalkia's back-office. Known as Project HOLD (Handheld Operating Linked Data), the deployment represents one of the largest live GPRS mobile application deployments in Europe. Significant Cost Savings with Sun's EME Java Solution Dalkia selected Sun Microsystems' EME Java solution for the design, development, deployment and integration of mobile applications. The EME solution relies on Sun's software Sun Java Enterprise System -- specifically the Sun Java Application Server, Sun Java Directory Server and Sun Java System Message Queue -- together with the XMLsoftware from Eliad Technologies. "The EME solution is particularly well designed to significantly lower the traffic generated on the GPRS network, and therefore considerably reduces recurring telecommunication operational costs, " said Damien Bonte, Director of Project HOLD, Dalkia. "The modular approach to this solution provides over- the-air distribution mechanisms of wireless mobile modules, which significantly reduces maintenance costs by updating PDAs remotely." Another key factor that led to Dalkia's decision to choose Sun was the openness of Java technology: Dalkia's mobile applications can be deployed on any Java compliant mobile device on the market such as Pocket PCs, Palms, and Blackberrys. "EME is an open and evolving solution built on industry standards (Java ME, Java EE, XML, LDAP), " explained Fabrice Jean, Director of Information Systems, Project HOLD, Dalkia, "This solution provides direct access to the back office, without requiring embedded or middleware databases. We chose this solution because it was quick to setup. It integrates a graphical design tool to build mobile applications, based on a RAD (Rapid Application Development) concept." Connected to the information system, the EME solution acts as a middleware layer, relaying the exchanges and requests between mobile handsets and the back-office, and integrating them in a secure manner through JDBC, JCA or Web Services. The EME solution is also independent from the telecommunications architecture so technicians can synchronize data using GPRS, UMTS, WiFi or even a sync cradle. Expanding Customer Services Through Innovative Mobile Technologies "In an ever-more mobile world, Sun has long advocated that wireless technologies will simply become an important delivery channel for services and content, as location-and-time independence becomes mandatory, not optional, " said Darrell Jordan-Smith, vice president of Global Telecommunications, Sun Microsystems. "Any time, anywhere, any device, has been one of our mission statements for some years. The EME solution now endorsed by Dalkia is a realization of Sun's service-driven network model, which shifts the focus from the underlying technology and the network infrastructure to the resulting services and benefits to customers." With direct connectivity to the company's management and operational systems, the capabilities of Dalkia's engineers has been significantly enhanced, allowing them to undertake a wider range of customer service functions directly on-site. These include preventative maintenance, on-site energy management -- including meter readings, tests and optimization using advanced algorithms, historical weather data and corrective maintenance and repairs. It also enables more effective procurement and order tracking from the remote site. The deployment of the EME-based Project HOLD is the final stage of a long feasibility study by Dalkia, which started in September 2004, on the effectiveness of deploying mobile applications in the field. Project HOLD looked at the best ways to handle the needs of field engineers and thoroughly tested via a pilot program until it delivered a robust, effective system. This project is now in commercial deployment. For more information on Sun Microsystems' EME Java solution please go to:http://www.sun.com/solutions/documents/case-studies/EME-flyer.pdf write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Networking News :: home page |