How would you like a second data channel to your mobile workforce, and one that does not have any added data charges? Would it be useful if that second channel used a technology more under your control, and thereby increase your communications resilience? 

Many MCUG members in the utilities already have items of remote equipment located in areas they work, many of these ‘black boxes’ have telephone lines and mains power their main job is to keep the pumps running and the lights on.  An idea rapidly taking shape with some of our water members, and also separately with our local government colleagues is to create a simple infrastructure with WiFi hotspots using the pre existing telemetry phone wires to back-haul network data using plain old ADSL or broadband  (or perhaps later on WiMax), and sharing a little of the power that runs the plant to power a WiFi access point.

Having these small hot-spots creates a private ad-hoc network, and perhaps sharing these with your utility neighbours could give even more flexibility. Cities such as Norwich are taking this a stage further with a two year trail for council staff and a free public access system using the city lamp standards to carry and power the equipment. London (and its boroughs) has initiatives under London Connects and Nomad, and all these provide a potential web of connectivity with interesting possibilities. The19th September sees an MCUG special interest (users) meeting in Surrey dedicated to piloting this concept in a water utility, and as a possible template for developing further organic growth.

Technology buster 

Readers of this magazine can not fail to notice that October is the month for the Service Management Europe event in Birmingham. The MCUG attends this show, and each year we notice that our stand has a steady procession of visitors who are would-be users of mobile technology but who are baffled by the choices arrayed before them. With a few hours to spare at the show how do they focus and engage with a good selection of suppliers that might fulfil their business needs?

This year we believe we have the answer.  We are serving user-members and day visitors by turning this, our informal service, in to a full blown Help Clinic. Two or three experienced MCUG consultants will be on hand each day to guide the hopeful or the confused, and to ply the distressed with coffee. The 10/15 minute sessions are on a walk-up basis, and start with a structured fact-find, and conclude with a suggested list of ports of call, recommended seminars, and useful contacts. With this suggested itinerary and your show guide boldly marked, visitors will be equipped to make the best of the day.

Knowing our members are free spirits, we do not have a booking system, and nobody is obliged to follow the suggestions you given. Advice: impartial, free and thought-provoking throughout the day.

Innovation

When MCUG ran its own annual conference and exhibition at Warwick one of the delights was that our low overheads allowed small firms to exhibit alongside the main suppliers. Some of these small suppliers (MCUG associates) were early innovators, bringing with them stimulating ideas and filling essential gaps in the system design chain. Large events, such as SME tend to attract the main players as exhibitors, but sometimes miss the smaller innovator.

To redress this we are working with the organisers to build a small innovation village under the heading of MCUG associates. A small village of table top displays will allow you to meet the people, the new ideas and hopefully some highly innovative services.  Speak direct to the head programmer, chief engineer, or the company owner – often one and the same – see you at SME.