According to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), 90% of weather-related outages are caused by trees hitting power lines, making vegetation management an integral part of any utility’s business. In the last three to four years, FERC has introduced additional regulations; one stating that by 2012, utilities should supply 95% of all customers with absolute, uninterrupted power 99.999% of the time.

These regulations show a need for innovation within the utility sector and a greater call for vegetation management. To address this issue, we partnered on a presentation at DistribuTECH with vegetation management specialist Henry King of ArborMetrics Solutions Company Inc.  ArborMetrics has deployed convertible tablet Toughbook 19s to its mobile workforce which operates in 12 states, often in remote forests locations only accessible on foot.

During our presentation, “Automating Vegetation Management,” we discussed the value of rugged mobile computers to the utility workforce, focusing on how connectivity can provide field employees with the latest work orders and information, thus maximizing worker productivity. Additionally, Henry discussed the challenges and benefits of transitioning his workforce from pen and paper to a wireless mobile computing solution.

The deployment surpassed the company’s goals and has now become a benchmark for other initiatives with parent company, Asplundh Tree Expert Co. Some of these topics are addressed in a video case study we recently developed, which can be found here.

For more insight on our offerings in the Utilities market, click on this link.

Did you attend DistribuTECH? If so, let us know your thoughts below.

Make no mistake: IT has a wide array of issues and challenges to contend with when it comes to keeping its organizations productive and safe with minimal technology downtime. However, how many times have you heard someone say they felt strangled by the technology noose around their neck? Gary Hemel of the Wall Street Journal Management 2.0 blog published an interesting post on the topic last November that posed the critical question: “Do IT staffers really believe that conscientious, committed employees turn into crazed, malicious hackers when you give them a bit of freedom over their IT environment?”

This question surfaced again earlier this month after we came across Jennifer Bélissent’s post that discussed her enthusiasm and excitement over her brand new Toughbook laptop though she hasn’t yet been allowed to use it to its fullest.  It’s a great example of a credible user (Jennifer is a respected analyst with Forrester Research) who is patiently waiting for IT to flip the switch.

Organizations are finding that when people are given technology that is purpose-built for their jobs, they’re better able to perform those jobs. PCSC president, Rance Poehler recently addressed this topic, as well as the need for more flexibility in device selection, as a means to drive real efficiencies and cost savings within organizations.

A recent IDC Worldwide Mobile Worker Population Forecast found that nearly 75 percent of the U.S. workforce will perform jobs outside the traditional office space by the end of 2011. What’s more, there are a growing number of organizations allowing employees to use their own personal notebooks. A recent survey from Gartner cited that 43 percent of respondents have specific policies that allow the use of employee-owned devices. With the majority of our workforce being mobile and many of them using their own personal equipment, IT professionals will necessarily move away from strict standardization and towards an era where device selection is tied to the workflow, needs and environments of their end users.

The shift away from a sole-sourced corporate standard is already happening. We applaud those organizations that are helping to change that mindset.

These communication professionals depend on Panasonic’s Toughbook mobile computers to restore and install network service immediately. Rugged Toughbook computers enable crews to get the job done, despite harsh outdoor weather. The high reliability of Toughbook devices allows field technicians, engineers and supervisors to solve problems quickly and efficiently, with little or no downtime.

Our newest addition to the fully-rugged Toughbook line is the U1, an ultra-mobile-rugged PC that is ideal for the communications industry due to its portability and integrated features. You can see our National Sales Manager, Troy Pingree, discuss the U1 and its benefits for the telecom industry in this video interview with TMCNet at SUPERCOMM.

If there is a story you’d like to share about your use of the Toughbook mobile computers, please leave us a comment.