General Dynamics Itronix Rugged Wireless Mobile Computers at Military Bases Worldwide
Itronix Corporation, a world-class developer of wireless, rugged mobile computing systems, announced today it has partnered with Telos? Corporation, a leading provider of secure information systems for the federal government, to design and deploy unique integrated wireless local area network (WLAN) and rugged computing solutions for use at Air Force bases across the nation.
Integrated Rugged Computing and the Air Force?s Point of Maintenance (POMX)
The integrated solution, which support the Air Force?s Point of Maintenance (POMX) initiative, enables Air Force technicians to securely and wirelessly work at the ?point of maintenance? to reduce the time it takes to repair and maintain aircraft and more quickly return them to operational service. To date, Itronix and Telos have implemented the integrated wireless, rugged computing solution at more than 50 US Air Force bases, including the first deployments at the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) at Randolph Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, and the Air Combat Command (ACC) at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
According to Sergeant Howarth of Nellis AFB, ?If a picture is worth a thousand words, wireless technology paints a masterpiece. Everyone from the maintainer at the aircraft to the maintenance operations control center a mile away can now see and understand the same picture of aircraft status, and can work together to keep Nellis on the cutting edge.? (quote from Nellis AFB BULLSEYE Newsletter, July 18, 2003)
Superior Wireless Integration + World-Class Wireless, Rugged Computers
By combining Telos?? wireless LAN solutions with Itronix? wireless, rugged computers, including the GoBook? II laptop, GoBook MAX? laptop, and the GoBook Tablet PC, Air Force bases around the country now have a secure, wireless LAN and a rugged mobile computing and communications platform that provides shared, real-time access to critical aircraft maintenance information. Air Force technicians can access information such as maintenance manuals with the latest updates, aircraft schematics, status, and have immediate visibility into parts and inventory.
Frequently referred to as ?terminals,? the wireless, rugged computers allow aircraft technicians to work more efficiently at the ?point of maintenance? rather than having to rely on tedious, error prone methods of packing up the information and walking from hangar to hangar or flight room to flight room to sort through reams of maintenance manuals and schematics or to manually log maintenance updates and information. Now, technicians can automatically input and access data from wherever they are working on the base.
?A key reason behind the success of our wireless deployments at Air Force bases around the nation is the close partnership we have with our customers - we are deeply committed to spending time with our customers and working with them to develop a best-of-class solution that specifically fits their wireless communications needs,? said Tom Badders, Director, Wireless Networking, for Telos Corporation. ?Itronix believes in the same approach to customer commitment and satisfaction, which is why our partnership is so strong and our customers remain happy.?
Having real-time access, even under some of the harshest flightline conditions, has enabled Air Force technicians to drastically reduce the time it takes to recover and repair aircraft and more quickly return them to service. As a result, Air Force bases experience increased aircraft availability, greater workforce productivity, more effective workforce and efficient aircraft scheduling, better utilization of resources, enhanced aircraft parts ordering process, and a major improvement in the accuracy and quality of data.
By improving aircraft ?turn around? time, the integrated wireless solution enables the Air Force to cut costs and, thereby save money. According to Rick Peyton, an avionics technician with AETC, ?The wireless local area network laptop is convenient and saves time. With point of maintenance at technicians? fingertips, it will cut transit time in half, thus saving the Air Force money. This might not sound like a lot, but when you add up the time of 139 maintenance technicians, it is a lot.? (quote from AETC News Service article, July 21, 2003)
?Our tight partnership with Telos enables us to provide the Air Force and other branches of the government with world-class wireless, rugged computing solutions that allow our nation?s forces to be more efficient, save money, and ultimately help better protect our country,? said Tom Turner, president and CEO of Itronix. ?I applaud Randolph and Nellis Air Force bases, among others, for their commitment to implementing cutting-edge wireless technology and we look forward to working with other bases to improve their ?point of maintenance? computing and communications abilities.?
