SWEDEN - Northzone's Appear Networks brings next generation wireless solutions to Dutch rail staff

This is the largest known deployment of Wi-Fi enabled frontline applications in Europe to date.

NS has wired 50 stations throughout the Netherlands with Cisco Systems end-to-end Wi-Fi networks, and equipped its 10,000 frontline employees with Windows Mobile powered handheld devices for instant access to these networks. While working on the platform, train conductors and drivers, customer service representatives and other staff can now wirelessly access business-critical data such as traffic information, schedules, shift rosters, maintenance information and temporary speed limits. Other employees may in the future use the system for security applications, such as silent alerts and access to video surveillance feeds.

The Appear IQ platform, based on the Appear Context Engine, pushes or synchronizes personalized information over any available wireless network (Wi-Fi, GPRS) whenever the user enters or moves between authorized wireless zones, depending on the specific location, user profile and available network.

The Appear Synchronization Module uses the context information to enable complex synchronization processes, taking care of file uploads and downloads, version control, release management, and dynamic synchronization workflows between devices and the back office.

NS' introduction of the Appear IQ platform has generated an efficiency gain of 25 minutes per employee, per shift, saving an estimated eight million Euros per year. 'We had to select a reliable mobile software platform able to support our highly demanding requirements. The system must run 365 days per year, 24 hours per day, and support 10,000 users scattered through out the country in over 50 stations,' said Wim Liet, head business applications, NS Reizigers Production Services.

'Only Appear Networks met our stringent requirements to deploy a distributed synchronization platform that selectively synchronizes applications according to user location, network type and job responsibilities,' adds Leonard de Roos, head of communication devices, NS Reizigers Production Services.

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