Mobile and Wireless Technology in Mobile Library Sector

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The Library / Educational Sector is experiencing many changes in the way different services are offered and undertaken and is continually seeking to improve customer care whilst containing costs.

The adoption of mobile applications and wireless technology is providing a powerful solution to mobile libraries. By implementing real-time data access it is bringing instant, up-to-date information and improving productivity throughout the library organisation by improving communications.

Now, more and more mobile libraries / educational centres are deploying wireless and mobile technology integration, including seamless roaming capabilities as part of their long term strategy; to ensure quality and continuity of customer care at lower costs.

Facing the Challenge

One positive move in creating and maintaining excellence in quality of service is by adopting Seamless Roaming as part of the mobile data strategy.

New technologies such as Seamless Roaming, and new applications of existing technologies, such as GPRS or 3G, are being used in the search for operational efficiency to achieve mobile data from any location. New standards such as Wifi will help facilitate access to and the sharing of data for employees anywhere within the organisation, and prove to be a vital tool in all business objectives.

Reliability and ease of use is king when deploying any mobile computing solution. Brand helps remove any obstacles and ensures the user stays part of the organisation, both reliably and securely.

The Technology

Brand's Apollo solution, matured over 14 years of successful deployment, is making mobile data a reality for business-critical data applications using Seamless Roaming for organisations across the world. Providing a secure connection for the mobile user whilst travelling from location to location, it removes the uncertainty of using a wireless network to transfer vital information by transparently integrating GSM, GPRS and Wifi networking with LAN environments, both within the enterprise, and in the field and provides automatic recovery from dropped connections with out repeating any data transactions and assures that data is never lost, corrupted or compromised.

Brand's mobile data solutions offers mobile users the added benefits of high compression levels, fast packet loss recovery and dynamic seamless roaming between Wifi, GPRS, 3G and other bearer networks depending on availability during the same transaction.

Another major concern for the libraries / educational centres would be the security of data information and network security. Brand provides significant protection to the network and data by using authentication and encryption security which complies with all the standards.

Practical Solutions

Mobile Library

The Mobile Library has just stopped at its regular place for 11 a.m. on a Tuesday. By using a laptop device connecting to the Library Headquarters using GPRS, the Librarian can access customers' records and update them in real time whilst at the library stop. Whilst making the amendments, the customer asks the librarian for a particular book title. The librarian is able to search all central records, locate the book and reserve the book for the customer for the next visit on the mobile, rather than waiting to return to the static brand to fill out the request.

The whole mobile data experience has made the Librarian more responsive to the customers needs and can respond to them in a more effective and efficient manner.

Wifi Hotspots

A Mobile Library's travel route takes it through the town centre where Wifi hotspots are located in various places. By using a laptop device and the external wifi hotspot technology, the librarian can instantly connect to the Library Headquarters LAN using this technology. The Librarian updates records and changes certain information and this is instantly sent back to HQ which is immediately updated on the system.

This process has been made more efficient by the librarian being able to access and update the library records instantly whilst on the move - for a more efficient and faster service. By using wifi technology, this also has tremendous cost-savings for the library.

Summary

Mobile Data represents an important step towards a new way of working within mobile libraries. Both the organisation and workforce benefit from the implementation of mobile technologies; as it makes the working process more effective and efficient. In addition, customer service is dramatically improved by information being made available wherever the service is being carried out and insuring records are accurately updated.

Brand's solutions are deployed in many organisations across the world and Brand specialises in implementing mission critical wireless strategies. Brand's Apollo solutions make mobile data a reality using session management. It removes the uncertainty of using a wireless network to transfer vital information and ensures compatibility with almost all data devices and networks resulting in a future-proofed investment for any library or educational centre, allowing access to all IP-based applications from the Head Office to the field.