"Wireless and mobile AEC solutions may seem far off on the horizon, when in fact, they are here and will explode in the U.S. marketplace thanks to the widespread success of Asian and European solutions," predicts Paul Doherty, managing director of the digit group.

Many of these tools are readily available to support field inspections, material site procurement, equipment tracking, interactive on-site project planning, CAD design reviews, update schedules, and much more. Your ability to understand and manage the potential, say the experts, will result in efficiency improvements and a competitive edge.

"Just as the Web transformed information access, communities and transactions, the widespread adoption of mobile and wearable technology will create sweeping opportunities for new services and business." -Jackie Fenn, Gartner, Inc.

Case in point: San Mateo-based Webcor Builders introduced a corporate-wide initiative to provide Web-linked handheld computers to all clients at the beginning of a project for easy access to current project information. These kinds of technology applications are expected to help the company reduce building costs as much as 2% to 3%-a savings most construction professionals can't afford to ignore.

Beyond the Glorified Address Book
Jackie Fenn, vice president and research fellow with Gartner, Inc. in Stamford, CT made this prediction in a March 20, 2001 report: "These wireless devices will evolve into personal communication and computing environments that large segments of the population will wear or carry. These will make IT a more familiar, intimate part of people's daily lives."

For this to come true, mobile devices, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), must shed their simplistic image as a glorified address book, emerging instead as an "always-on" broadband Internet solution with widespread capabilities and applications.

Industry giant Microsoft agrees, further endorsing the notion that all of these devices are merely an extension of the desktop. This year the firm introduced the popular Pocket PC 2002-code-named Merlin. Two of its hardware devices support wireless networking and wireless synchronization with mobile phones and PCs. Microsoft is certainly not alone. Solution providers such as industry leader Palm (54% market share), Handspring, RIM Blackberry, Nokia, and others are working quickly to bring powerful wireless and mobile technologies to market quickly.

The ability to move traditional desktop activities to these field devices holds enormous potential. The industry already boasts a number of applications including Timberline Software Corporation's Palm Estimating, Meridian Project Systems' Prolog Pocket for the Palm, Primavera's Expedition Mobile, HeavyJob Pocket from HCSS, Computer Guidance's Mobile Field Applications, and Explorer Software's Explorer Maestro. One of the latest and most unique, GE Capital Modular Space (GECMS) introduced TattleTale®, a wireless total site security solution that offers round-the-clock indoor/outdoor protection.

Improvements in the wireless infrastructure are sure to bring about steady advancements to each of these systems. However, while the fast-paced wireless and mobile market grows, the technology has its roadblocks-namely the lack of standardization.

The Mobile Moving Target
"The real quandary is how to deal with the hundreds of mobile devices and interface differences," explains John Voeller, chief technology officer for Black & Veatch. "With the mobile devices, every device is different. Unlike the PC, there is no default 640 x 480 screen or keyboard layout. Until this is solved, what we can do will remain limited."

While there are a number of standards in the industry, many believe that the industry is converging to a common mobile multimedia called Third Generation (3G). Proponents say 3G will bring together the handful of currently accepted, yet incompatible, standards. This next generation system will be a digital, mobile multimedia with broadband mobile communications that include voice, video, graphics, audio and other information-a tall order that may not realistically fit onto today's pocket-sized devices.

Voeller says, "Many believe the next generation PDA is actually a tablet with PC characteristics. Add to this the constant metamorphosis of PDA to phone to PDA/phone to PDA/PC to PC/phone to ... and you have a moving target."

Regardless, many industry watchers believe the world of wireless and mobile technology is among the most important Internet technologies for the construction industry. The digit group's Doherty concludes: "The ability to connect to the project site or to the other side of a project is critical to effective communications and to a successful project. Wireless and mobile technologies provide that connection, even in this early form."

Greg Hanlon
VP, Project Sales and Marketing
at GE Capital Modular Space
GE Capital Co.

Q: Where is wireless/mobile technology driving new solutions at GE Capital?
A: The wireless world opens a lot of doors in terms of productivity improvements. The first area we've taken advantage of is in the area of security systems-helping reduce loss of productivity. More conventional hard-wired alarm systems rely on telephone lines that can be cut or tampered with. A wireless security system, such as our just-released TattleTale®, uses cellular technology-meaning it cannot be disabled when lines are disconnected. Designed with an eye toward construction sites, educational facilities, dormitories, and the like, this system can provide wireless coverage up to four miles.

Q: How do you see this evolving in the coming years?
A: Our vision is the total office solution. We specialize in the delivery of temporary and permanent mobile and modular space solutions for construction, commercial, institutional, industrial, educational and healthcare customers. Modular space is moving rapidly to providing permanent modular structures as an alternative to construction. Within that service, more customers are demanding services that are bundled-including telecommunications facilities. With the wireless networking environment we are able to deliver customers a complete modular office with enormous speed and versatility.

Voice, Data and the Internet

  Ted O'Brien
Executive Director
Market Development
for Iridium Satellite LLC

Q: How is Iridium the "only truly global, truly mobile communications solution?"
A: Because we are satellite-based-not cellular network-based-we provide a voice and data network that is available for use anywhere on earth, from pole to pole. There are other systems that provide mobile solutions on a regional basis and others that have service available on a wide geographic basis using less mobile devices, such as laptops. But we are the only ones that provide global voice and data service-all of it from one handheld device as well as from units designed for use in airplanes, maritime vessels and vehicles. In this world of Web-enabling, we are the only system that makes the Internet available to our customers any time from literally any place in the world.

Q: Is this competitive with cellular phone systems?
A: We don't compete with cellular services. Our satellite services are uniquely designed to meet the needs of a continually mobile audience that may not be able to depend on a local telecommunications network, such as cellular towers and telephone lines or poles. Ideal for construction companies, this satellite solution allows project teams to send and receive voice messages and documents no matter where the jobsite.

Primavera Moves on Mobility

Joel Koppleman
President
Primavera Systems, Inc.

Q: How does mobile/wireless technology fit into your development strategy?
A: Our overall focus is integration-making the data created from our solutions available anytime, anywhere in real-time to those who need it. Wireless connectivity is an ideal framework to support these activities, particularly on remote job sites. Our customers are interested in incorporating handheld devices or PDAs into their project efforts. Because they want to be connected, we've developed a handheld interface to improve project efficiency with on-the-spot entry of vital project information.

Q: Are they looking for desktop functionality?
A: Small and simple is truly the way to go-that's what makes PDA-like devices so popular with a wide range of people. That suggests the applications must be limited to data entry on the fly-no fancy graphics or heavy analysis. With that in mind, we've just introduced Expedition Mobile, a PDA running on a Palm OS platform that allows users to access and respond to key project information from the job site as events occur. Users could record deliveries, initiate and submit an RFI, execute a punch list or even create action lists. Since the application is a subset of the Expedition scheduling solution, it requires little, if any training.