accuracy

Tougher E911 from FCC

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 20:01:37 -0400

The FCC has voted to tighten the standards for E911 performance by requiring carriers to report their results on a community-by-community basis, rather than averaging results across a state. The change is expected to initially show that there is wide disparity between accuracy in different communities, though the intended result is improved E911 performance across the board. Carriers aren't in favor, though public-service agencies are already coming out in favor of the proposal.

For more on new rules for E911:
Read the complete article at WirelessWeek.

Lost in 911-Land

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

If you need to call 911, the odds are good that you're going to want some emergency-response vehicle to find you. We've come to trust first responders' ability to find us when we call, even if we're unable to tell them exactly where we are. The GPS capability mandated in each new cell phone aids in the location process, though cellular carriers can still use signal triangulation to aid in caller location. The trouble is, a new study indicates that the accuracy of cellphone location information varies greatly from location to location. Cellular carriers can keep accuracy scores up because they're allowed to average over a wide area, but your mileage may vary--by a lot. A test in conjunction with your local emergency responders might be in order if you want to be sure.

For more on the 911 location study:
- Read the whole story at CIO-Today

New Tablet pen system boosts field work efforts

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 20:01:36 -0400

A new mobile pen is helping an insurance company boost efficiency, accuracy, staff productivity and its level of customer service. Field representatives at Gore Mutual Insurance in Ontario are using a pen-based application via a Tablet PC on a wireless WAN to process claims and insurance estimates with the data uploaded and processed by an application service provider. It's proving a lot quicker than laptops, which had to be brought back to office locations for data linking. Article