Lynx Express had deployed 650 Pocket PC based mobile devices across 36 depots as part of its branch scanning system (eBS). However, Lynx faced a number of challenges since it had implemented a wireless solution without the vital management infrastructure.

Mike Fitzgerald, IT Director at Lynx Express explains: ‘The mobile devices were being used in a warehouse environment where the majority of users had little or no technology understanding and support was being provided from our Central IT Systems function in Birmingham. Almost every problem needed to be attended to in person - from monitoring batteries, fixing hardware, through to essential software upgrades.  The IT team spent most of its time driving all round the country trying to keep these devices working - it was a huge, never-ending task.’

Lynx undertook a six-week trial before implementing the mProdigy enterprise mobile management solution from b2m solutions, a specialist in the management of the mobile enterprise.  This has resulted in a team of four located in the Birmingham office now using mProdigy to remotely manage all aspects of the mobile devices.  ‘If we didn’t have mProdigy, the team would need to be at least twice the size,’ says Fitzgerald.

In the past, a software upgrade (be it a bug fix or functional enhancement) had meant a manual visit to each depot and a full update cycle could take anything up to two months to complete.  With mProdigy, this now takes a matter of days, managed almost exclusively from the central IT operation in Birmingham.

Lynx is now rolling out a further 500 mProdigy licences which are used to manage its In-Cab devices. This includes support of the devices whilst they are ‘on the road’ using GPRS digital communications. As part of the second phase of the mobile installation in August 2005, a new software application was rolled out to these units and the process was enabled by mProdigy.

Lynx has been able to reduce the overall cost of support and maintenance by decreasing the time and resources required to update devices thereby minimising the need to return them to a maintenance centre. 

‘Most importantly, we can keep drivers out on the road. If a driver has a problem, we can reset the device and get it working.  We’ve found that for 80% of the devices that go wrong, resetting them remotely will get them operational again,’ continues Fitzgerald.

‘mProdigy has ensured that the Lynx Express mobile enterprise is a resounding success,’ confirms Fitzgerald. ‘b2m has given us fantastic support and helped us understand and realise the benefits that we could achieve with mProdigy.  The textbooks would lead you to believe that wireless technology is stable – b2m has enlightened and educated us.  Mobile is still a very young market.’