PR releases

Orange helps make the mobile workforce a reality for large businesses

London, May 12, 2009: More flexible and agile working practices remain high on the agenda for UK business and the majority of IT decision makers in large organisations want to give their workforce access to vital business applications and systems outside the office, according to first-hand research from Orange. However, putting the plan into practice can be complicated if they don’t know how to start or who to ask for assistance.

Orange Mobile Workforce Management has been developed by Orange along with specialist partner Cognito, to address this issue. Mobile Workforce Management tools will make it possible for IT departments to free up their workforce by mobilising and integrating a wide range of applications and processes for remote workers to use in their natural, on-the-move environment. This more effective use of systems and information will help businesses to enhance and get the most out of their IT investments.

Enabling access to a single application or even a full-scale “mobile office” while workers are out and about means customers can achieve better and more efficient services, reduced costs and increased productivity and profitability. Mobile Workforce Management tools are particularly relevant for those businesses who are dealing with increasingly demanding customers and more complex service-level management agreements.

Mobile Workforce Management is an ideal solution for service- and task-led organisations as it ensures their field workers respond effectively to time-critical requests and can update back-office systems in real time. Also, because it is a fully managed solution, whether straight off the shelf or tailor-made to suit individual needs, it is ideal for companies that don’t have the resources to devote to mobile workforce management themselves.

“Regardless of where we are on the economic rollercoaster, businesses must be able to get the most out of their IT investments. By mobilising existing applications and processes, businesses can become more competitive and their mobile workforce more efficient, more flexible and more productive,” said Robert Ainger, Director of Corporate Marketing, Orange UK.

There are many benefits of a well-managed mobile workforce, including:

“IT departments often struggle to implement a mobile strategy to support field workers such as engineers or delivery drivers. This is because there is a high degree of complexity involved in adapting business critical applications and a range of mobile technologies to the very unique business processes of a field service operation. As a result, integration between mobile devices and back-end IT systems is a highly specialised field,” said Steve Alderson, Managing Director at Cognito. “Orange has recognised that its customers come from a range of diverse working cultures and need a bespoke approach to mobile workforce management. This is why we are extremely pleased to be partnering with Orange and combining our expertise to provide customers with the best solution for seamless mobile integration.”

Who is Cognito?

Cognito is an Orange specialist partner that provides fully integrated, mobile workforce management solutions. The company provides tracking, real-time data, scheduling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and planned and unplanned job management, through consultancy, design, delivery and support over the Orange mobile network. As part of the partnership with Cognito, Orange experts work closely with customers to design and manage a continually evolving mobile business tool that makes the most of a company’s existing IT investments.

For further information on Orange Mobile Workforce Management consultancy, services and products, or to see how it’s making a difference to Orange and Cognito customers, please visit: http://www.orange.co.uk/business/mwm