Private Mobile Office makes use of standard GSM mobile handsets to deliver effective mobile communication in 'island' environments. An 'island' can be defined as being geographically or logistically remote from any 'head office' or corporate communications infrastructure.

Private Mobile Office for Business

Overview


Private Mobile Office makes use of standard GSM mobile handsets to deliver effective mobile communication in 'island' environments. An 'island' can be defined as being geographically or logistically remote from any 'head office' or corporate communications infrastructure.

In recent times, DECT solutions have been utilised in this type of operating scenario. Whilst this approach has its advantages, it also has some significant drawbacks, such as the cost and quality of requisite handsets and concerns over coverage and range.
The PMO solution is designed to address these potential pitfalls. It is pre-configured for ease of install, clients make significant cost savings, proven GSM protocols deliver peace of mind and GPRS technology enables remote data access for a true competitive advantage.

Business Requirements

When it comes to communications solutions, fundamental requirements barely differ according to customer size or sector of operation and can be grouped under the broad headings of 'cost' and 'control'. The following independent statistics illustrate client requirements:

  • From a 'control' perspective, 93% of medium sized businesses state that a 'reliable and resilient service' is their number-one priority when purchasing any communication solution. (Source: Ofcom November 2006).
  • 'Cost' plays a significant role in any decision making process and 31% of respondents said it was a very important consideration. Also 95% of medium sized companies spend less that £50k per annum on their telecommunications. (Source: Ofcom November 2006).

Benefits of PMO v DECT in 'Island' Scenarios

  • Utilisation of existing mobile handsets - longer battery life, better choice and no need to purchase additional, dedicated and specific cordless handsets. A significant advantage.
  • Better range - PMO has an effective range of up to 9000 square metres (subject to survey). DECT solutions can have as little as 300m in 'open space' or only 50m in built-up areas.
  • Cost savings - PMO technology is more cost effective in a variety of ways:
    1. Lower set up costs - because DECT requires significantly more location points, radio interference cards and numerous repeaters to provide comparable coverage.
    2. Savings through superior functionality - calls and texts between 'on-island' personnel are free of charge and PMO solutions are re-deployable from project to project, significantly reducing subsequent communications spend. Calls to outside the island can be re-routed through any corporate PBX at PSTN call charge rates.
    3. Additional performance cost savings - for instance, through user familiarity with a handset resulting in improvements in employee productivity and efficiency.
  • GSM foundation - adherence to GSM standards gives PMO customers reassurance in terms of cost-effectiveness, interoperability and convergence with other wireless technologies moving forward.
  • GPRS capability - PMO enables access to a company's data network via mobile handsets which can significantly improve customer service provision.

ROI / Business Case Model

Applying the PMO to a 50 user organisation;

The solution provides voice and messaging services whilst staff are on the move, ensuring efficient communication and immediate access to information across the office environment. More specifically, the PMO;

  • Supports the need to contact mobile staff.
  • Avoids significant DECT install costs and mitigates charges for mobile phone usage.
  • Operates as a telephone extension with no charge between users.
  • Operates as a telephone extension with no charge between users.
  • Text messages are free within the coverage area, advantageous in noisy environments (comms rooms, warehouses, canteens etc).
  • In building coverage up to 125,000 m² per cell depending on building structure.

A standard 50 user PMO package would include;

  • Ability to support up to 50 2G mobile phones.
  • 3 x Base Transceiver Stations (cells).
  • Tower or rack mount server with pre-installed Private Mobile eXchange software.
  • 50 x GSM SIM cards for Private. Mobile Office
  • 8 x Port Gateway to Analogue PBX.

The PMO solution outlined here would cost around 25% less than the equivalent DECT system.

Taking a wider viewpoint and looking at alternative FMI provision, Wi-Fi centric solutions require significant capital expenditure on specialised handsets and additional wireless infrastructure. As a guideline, compared against Cisco's WiFi alternative, the PMO solution costs some 30% less.

Click here to download the datasheet.