November 2002

Pioneering can sometimes be a double-edged sword. It's great being first with something, but sometimes rivals starting later can benefit from your experiences and overtake you. Nigel Dutton of network operator mmO2, tells m.logistics why he's certain that fate won't befall his company

mmO2 was the first company in the world to launch and roll out a commercial GPRS network. Nigel Dutton, mobile media marketing manager of mmO2, is not complacent about the company's early success, but nor is he worried that the company's advantage of being early to market with GPRS will quickly be eroded as other network operators move into the GPRS market. "I think the two years' lead we have had is actually the equivalent of a five- or six-year lead in terms of experience."

Being first has given mmO2 three crucial advantages, in his eyes. "Customers know we have had an operable GPRS network for two years now, and that it works with GSM. They know we have devices that work on the network. Lastly we have proof that the applications software will run over our network. It is clear that the network, middleware and the hardware all work with each other."

mmO2 recognised fairly early that it was not simply enough to provide the GPRS network to connect the devices and applications, says Dutton. It had to become more than a network operator and develop partnerships with middleware and hardware producers that would show companies the benefits.

Email was soon identified as a so-called a killer application for mobile workers. "The office worker is like Captain Kirk on the bridge of the Enterprise ­ everything is to hand and he's in control," Dutton says. "But mobile workers lose that control: they are travelling or in meetings. For these people, being unable to access your email for half a day means your productivity drops."

The average sales representative, he claims, spends 14 weeks on the road each year. "That's why we focussed on Blackberry. Emails take about 12 seconds to arrive on the handset, thanks to the permanent connectivity and push technology. They can be dealt with instantly." Unlike other email applications, there is no need to dial in to retrieve messages.

The mono screens are not an issue with users, says Dutton. He says a battery life of five days between recharges is more appealing than a colour screen. Judging by the numbers, Blackberry has certainly found its market; Dutton quotes 425 corporate users and 10,000 handsets.

mmO2 has not ignored those customers who want more from their handhelds. It offers the stylish XDA PDA-style handset exclusively in the UK. This works on the more conventional pull rather than push principle and has Pocket PC 2002 operating system. "The advantage of that is that everyone from senior managers down to delivery drivers can use the same device. It's also more versatile because there's the opportunity to run other applications on the same device."

mmO2 is keen on partnerships, working with Oracle and Microsoft among others. However, it has no desire to dictate to its customers. "There are over 8,000 members in our applications forum, so we recognise that one size does not fit all."

Dutton has some clear views on how the wireless network will develop in the logistics sector. He thinks the on-board unit will act as a portal through which other activities will take place, with GPS/GPRS replacing the current GPS/SMS combination. The black box will store all the vehicle data, and Dutton envisages three or four applications being required. With flat-top tariffs on GPRS, he points out, operators won't have to worry about the number of times they communicate with the drivers or send data. Equipment up grades will be easier because the truck unit is a mobile handheld.