Absolute Software Case Studies Cox Communications Increases Field Technician Productivity with Reliable Connectivity from NetMotion Software

Edit This Case Study Record

	Cox Communications Increases Field Technician Productivity with Reliable Connectivity from NetMotion Software Absolute Software

Cox Communications Increases Field Technician Productivity with Reliable Connectivity from NetMotion Software

Absolute Software

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management Networks & Connectivity - Cellular
Applicable Industries	Telecommunications
Applicable Functions	Field Services
Use Cases	Fleet Management Remote Asset Management
Services	System Integration
Challenge	Cox Communications, a major cable provider in the U.S., was facing challenges with its field service communications. The company's 3,500 field-service technicians handle over six million work orders annually. However, these technicians were having difficulty connecting remotely to their work order management system, leading to delays in service. The company noticed that a significant amount of time was being spent on establishing a connection relative to work orders. Field staff were also frequently contacting the back office to gather customer information when a connection could not be made. Read More
About Customer	Cox Communications is the third-largest cable provider in the United States. The company delivers voice, video, and data services to approximately six million residential and commercial customers. Every year, its 3,500 field-service technicians handle more than six million work orders. The company's field workers are constantly on the move, performing new customer installations and upgrades as well as service repairs. Technicians use mobile devices connected to a cellular network to access their work order management system. Read More
Solution	Cox Communications deployed NetMotion Mobility in conjunction with an EV-DO mobile broadband solution from Sprint. This combination provided safe and secure extension of Cox’s LAN-based applications for mobile workers, ensuring reliable connectivity regardless of their location. Additionally, Cox implemented Sybase iAnywhere’s Afaria product to complement the management capabilities of Mobility. This allowed the company to deploy and update software on its mobile devices remotely. The solution also offered customizable policies that allowed IT administrators to better manage application and network access, quarantine lost or stolen devices, and prioritize bandwidth for critical transmissions and applications. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management

Networks & Connectivity - Cellular

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Field Services

Use Cases

Fleet Management

Remote Asset Management

Services

System Integration

Challenge

Cox Communications, a major cable provider in the U.S., was facing challenges with its field service communications. The company's 3,500 field-service technicians handle over six million work orders annually. However, these technicians were having difficulty connecting remotely to their work order management system, leading to delays in service. The company noticed that a significant amount of time was being spent on establishing a connection relative to work orders. Field staff were also frequently contacting the back office to gather customer information when a connection could not be made.

About Customer

Cox Communications is the third-largest cable provider in the United States. The company delivers voice, video, and data services to approximately six million residential and commercial customers. Every year, its 3,500 field-service technicians handle more than six million work orders. The company's field workers are constantly on the move, performing new customer installations and upgrades as well as service repairs. Technicians use mobile devices connected to a cellular network to access their work order management system.

Solution

Cox Communications deployed NetMotion Mobility in conjunction with an EV-DO mobile broadband solution from Sprint. This combination provided safe and secure extension of Cox’s LAN-based applications for mobile workers, ensuring reliable connectivity regardless of their location. Additionally, Cox implemented Sybase iAnywhere’s Afaria product to complement the management capabilities of Mobility. This allowed the company to deploy and update software on its mobile devices remotely. The solution also offered customizable policies that allowed IT administrators to better manage application and network access, quarantine lost or stolen devices, and prioritize bandwidth for critical transmissions and applications.

Impact #1	With the implementation of NetMotion Mobility and the Sprint EV-DO network, field technicians have access to the entire backend work order management system, reducing the number of voice and text interactions with the back office.
Impact #2	The solution simplified management of the deployment by delivering a real-time, system-wide view of device activity, including application use, device connections, and battery life.
Impact #3	The ability to deploy and update software remotely helped Cox cut down on support and maintenance hours.

Impact #1

With the implementation of NetMotion Mobility and the Sprint EV-DO network, field technicians have access to the entire backend work order management system, reducing the number of voice and text interactions with the back office.

Impact #2

The solution simplified management of the deployment by delivering a real-time, system-wide view of device activity, including application use, device connections, and battery life.

Impact #3

The ability to deploy and update software remotely helped Cox cut down on support and maintenance hours.

Benefit #1	Productivity gain of 10% in many cases
Benefit #2	Reduced repair times
Benefit #3	IT cost savings estimated at $500,000 annually

Benefit #1

Productivity gain of 10% in many cases

Benefit #2

Reduced repair times

Benefit #3

IT cost savings estimated at $500,000 annually

Download PDF Version

Overview

Cox Communications Increases Field Technician Productivity with Reliable Connectivity from NetMotion Software

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit