American Mobile's Wireless Data Communications Delivers Real-Time Benefits
for ICL
RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 1999-- ICL Signs Four-Year Contract
Extension with American Mobile for Airtime Services; Determining Factors Are
American Mobile's Field Service Expertise and the ARDIS Network's Unmatched
Nationwide Coverage
American Mobile Satellite Corp. (NASDAQ:SKYC) today announced ICL, a leading
systems and services company, has signed a four-year contract extension for
airtime services on American Mobile's ARDIS(R) wireless network. The contract
is with ICL's Dallas-based retail systems division, one of the world's
largest suppliers of information systems and services to retailers.
The contract extension continues the long-time relationship between ICL and
American Mobile. In 1992, ICL deployed its first wireless field service
application on American Mobile's ARDIS nationwide network. When ICL
reevaluated its network partner seven years later, it once again selected
American Mobile, citing two specific reasons: American Mobile's unparalleled
field service implementation expertise and the ARDIS network's unmatched
nationwide on-street and in-building coverage.
"ICL's retail customers operate in a mission-critical environment. Downtime
could potentially mean lost revenue. Using wireless data communications, our
field service technicians can have their equipment back on-line in a matter
of hours, not days," said Stuart Harris, operations director for ICL's retail
systems division. "When it came time to reevaluate our wireless data network,
we tested the leading carriers. American Mobile's ARDIS network cut through
the marketing hype and delivered on its coverage promises. Furthermore,
American Mobile's extensive field service expertise has allowed us to
maintain a tight deployment schedule."
According to Bob Goldsmith, executive vice president and chief operating
officer, American Mobile, "American Mobile shares ICL's commitment to
excellence. They have become a world leader by providing their customers with
a combination of leading technology and superb customer service. By the same
token, American Mobile and ARDIS have become the partner and network of
choice for the nation's leading field service organizations by delivering the
most experienced project management teams and the industry's best coverage."
Wireless Data Delivers Results
Concurrent with the American Mobile contract extension, ICL is rolling out
its second-generation wireless field service application. Capitalizing on the
growing availability of new, low-cost hardware devices, ICL is transitioning
from its previous platform to the Inter@ctive Pager from Research In Motion
(RIM). The device sports a full QWERTY keyboard but is small enough to fit in
the palm of the hand. The Inter@ctive Pager runs a custom application
developed for ICL, and which American Mobile engineers ported from the
previous platform. By delivering the application on time, American Mobile has
allowed ICL to rollout the new field service solution on schedule to their
400 field engineers.
To service the approximately 1,500 customer service calls received daily, ICL
uses a combination of wireless data communications and traditional paging. As
calls are received, dispatchers page engineers, alerting them of the
impending job. Using the Inter@ctive Pager operating on the ARDIS network,
the engineer can accept the call and, once on-site, order parts, provide
dispatchers with updates, communicate with colleagues and supervisors, and
close calls.
About ICL
ICL is a leading supplier of IT systems and services. Operating in over 70
countries and employing over 19,000 people, the company's revenues for 1997
were 2,477.1 million pounds sterling (more than $4 billion), generating a
pre-tax profit of 30.0 million pounds sterling (approximately $54 million).
ICL's retail systems division, based in Dallas, Texas, employs 2,000 people
worldwide and has annual revenues of approximately $800 million. The division
is dedicated to serving the retail industry through the creation of effective
IT solutions and services. It is one of the world's largest suppliers of
information systems and solutions to retailers.
About American Mobile Satellite Corporation
American Mobile (www.AmMobile.com) owns and operates an integrated
terrestrial/satellite network and provides a wide range of mobile
communication services, including digital voice dispatch, data
communications, single and dual-mode mobile messaging, position reporting
services, and satellite telephone to the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and hundreds of miles of U.S. coastal
waters. American Mobile services are used in the transportation, field
service, maritime, two-way messaging and telemetry markets. The company's
major shareholders include Hughes Communications, Inc., Motorola, Inc.,
Singapore Telecom, and AT&T Wireless Services. |
