But the power of the tech is spreading beyond the walls of those carriers. A few years ago, independent agents who wanted a wireless connection to a carrier (if they could get one at all) would find themselves facing a version of the same problem SEMCI was supposed to solve: Each carrier had a different infrastructure and support system, and agents could conceivably end up with a stack of wireless devicesone for each carrier.

Today, though, the pocket version of the Web browser provides a standard interface to carriers software. Independent agents offer a different type of challenge, Lownie said. The carrier doesnt control what type of computing device they can use, but we are working to solve this with Web-based wireless. Its a great way to connect.

Letting Go

Many carriers are still wary of cutting the cord, so to speak. Issues of security, obsolescence, infrastructure, and the cost of implementing wireless solutions hang over their collective heads. Lownie recommends that carriers uncomfortable with wirelessbut that understand the benefits of ithook up with a trusted advisor before shopping for solutions.

You need someone who has done it before who can find out what is possible and what is not possible, he said.

Take Frank Arment, vice president of claims for Massachusetts-based auto insurer Plymouth Rock Assurance. Hes sold on the wireless system his company purchased from Mitchell because it gives Plymouth Rock a competitive advantage in claims processingsomething thats important in a state like Massachusetts, where rates are set by the state. The end result, Arment said, is increased efficiency and better customer service.

The company currently has three of its 12 mobile crash buster vans equipped with the Mitchell wireless system; the remainder will have it by the end of the year. By starting the claims process from the field instead of the office, Plymouth Rock can speed up many of the things that traditionally slow the process, particularly when a vehicle is totaled. We can start working with the banks quickly on getting the title changed, Arment said. They are notoriously slow in that regard. We can move to get the car out of storage and sent to the salvage yard. Also, we can cut down the number of days we are paying for car rentals for the customer. We can issue a check right on the spot. All those things add up.

The claims staff also carries cellular phones and digital cameras as part of its high-tech package.

Of course, Arment realizes there are issues that have to be solved, but the benefits are exciting. You can do more appraisals per appraiser, he said. We can dispatch directly to the appraiser through the assignment screen.

And things will roll even more quickly when Plymouth Rock replaces its antiquated legacy system so that appraisers can access the back-end system directly instead of sending data through the Mitchell Web site. Its not quite instantaneous for us yet, but we are getting there, Arment said.

Fill er Up

From cable connections in their homes, T1 lines in their offices, and forthcoming 3G wireless devices, people are demanding more and more bandwidth.

Randy Arndt, senior product marketing manager for XcelleNet, maker of the Afaria mobile management system, thinks the worlds appetite for bigger and bigger pipes is insatiable. The more they get, he says, the more theyll use. When bandwidth goes up, so does the amount of information being sent, he said.

Data pipes always seem to be a step behind what people want to use them for, which can result in applications wanting to send a fire hoses worth of information through a data pipe the size of a straw.

The key, Arndt said, is to be smart about what you send. What if the IT department needs to get data to the device, but the user is checking his e-mail at the same time? he said. The software has to be smart enough to step away and let the user complete his business.

Getting data from the mobile user to the management system is only half the process. Administrative tasks and upgrades have to be sent to mobile users as welland those users arent always willing or able to come to the home office and wait while someone from IT installs the software.

A better solution, Arndt said, is having software to track the devices and monitor the programs so you can update or repair the systems without physically touching it.

Downsides

One of the inherent problems with portable devices is that they can be too portableeasily lifted from table, airport scanner, or even a jacket pocket. When those devices carry sensitive company information, the company needs a way to keep it away from prying eyes. If [a wireless device] is lost, you have to be able to send it a command to delete the content and show a message with return instructions, Arndt said.

Damage is a common problem for mobile solutions as well, either in the form of a cracked keyboard or a corrupt file. In the latter situation, the user might not be able to get to the home office for a repair. So Arndt recommendsonce againsoftware that can connect to the devices and fix things. Backup management can put the data on new devices, install shareware, or delete files that are breaking the software, he said. It can recognize a corrupted file and keep it from breaking the solution.

Every cell-phone user knows that there are dead zones out there where wireless coverage is spotty at best. That can be a problem for not-so-smart software thats trying to exchange data with corporate HQ.

Arndt feels the key for hisor anywireless solution is its ability to store data thats entered, even when a user enters a dead zone and loses her connection to the management system. You have coverage, and then you walk somewhere and all of a sudden you dont have coverage, he said. Your wireless connection has to be able to pick up where you left off even in an unpredictable environment.

Lownie agrees, calling that always available computing. He also addresses the bandwidth issue, saying that insurers have to get beyond it and concentrate on good applications.

Standards play a big part in this, he said. iAnywhere supports a Java-based API for sending and receiving messages. As long as the transport mechanisms have a JMF interface, I can swap different transport messages, he said. It has had a fairly high acceptance rate. That can mitigate the never-ending barrage of new technologies that seem to render yesterdays equipment obsolete.

Theres little doubt that the future holds great things for wireless computing. Higher bandwidth, smarter devices, more powerful applications, and, of course, snazzier machines are all in the planning stages. But Lownie cautioned against getting caught up in the hype. He pointed to European smart phones as an example. No matter how sharp they are, he said, one simple question has to be answered: Does it have a good, solid business application? If the answer to that question is yes, than youre in business.

Increases in bandwidth are coming, but they havent yet been able to keep up with the demand for usage. With the proliferation of cell phones, PDAs, and laptops, it will be nearly impossible to meet the global demand. Smart carriers know that the power of wireless devices lies in a combination of bandwidth, smart applications, and users who see computing without wires for the useful business it can enable.

iAnywhere Solutions: www.sybase.com
Mitchell International: www.mitchell.com
Plymouth Rock Assurance: www.prac.com
XcelleNet: www.xcellenet.com