InformationWeek

Airwaves At Delta Delta Air Lines is used to traveling through the atmosphere, so communicating via the airwaves probably makes sense to the company as well. Last summer, Delta said it was working with IBM and Modem Media Inc. to develop and test a new travel service that gives anyone with a mobile device access to up-to-date flight arrival and departure information, same-day gate information, and worldwide flight schedules from its Web site.

A wide variety of smart devices, including mobile phones and Palm VII handheld organizers, can be used by consumers, travel agents, and business partners. For security reasons, personal itineraries can only be viewed if a customer has a SkyMiles identification number and personal identification number.

Modem Media, which builds and markets customer-focused E-businesses, developed the user interface and assisted with programming the functionality. Delta is one of the first airlines to offer a comprehensive suite of products via wireless technology.

One challenge so far is converting existing data and applications on Delta's Web site into the appropriate format for smaller mobile devices to read. IBM and Modem Media are working with Delta and its subsidiary, Delta Technology, to write a Java application to translate Delta's travel information into the Extensible Markup Language. The team is using IBM's transcoding technology to filter and adapt content to handheld devices. The wireless initiative is part of a company push for better and more automated customer service. "As wireless communication becomes more mainstream, we'll continue to enhance and expand the ability for our customers," says Bill Reeves, general manager of E-commerce for Delta in Atlanta.

Beyond the selection of the Palm VII platform for mobile application development, Delta has also developed a platform that lets WAP-enabled phones, such as the Sprint NeoPoint 1000, interface with its systems. "These are just the first of what we call a device-agnostic approach to wireless development," Reeves says. "Regard-less of the device of choice in the future, we want to provide the necessary communication protocols to allow any of our customers to transact with us via any device they choose."

The Palm VIIs are connected to Delta's Web site via the Palm.net wireless service. Applications are loaded on the Palm and information is selected offline. When the "send" button is hit, queries are sent to Delta's servers and responses returned in about eight seconds. Palm.net serves 260 major markets, according to Delta.

Reeves says Delta plans to enable most of its Web applications--reservations, flight upgrades, delayed baggage information, SkyMiles balance inquiries, and other information now available by wired phones or computers. The company also hopes to extend wireless access to its employees for E-mail and intranet access.

But there are obstacles to overcome first. While consumers may not mind waiting eight seconds to get answers to short text queries, business users are less tolerant. "We're working through some of the more obvious hurdles now," including spotty coverage in some of the networks, slow transmission speeds, and limitations with the graphical displays and input mechanisms, Reeves says.

The wireless devices don't easily replace what can be accomplished on a regular PC, especially for employees. Delta is doing limited testing of wireless applications with a handful of employees and will expand that when it becomes cost-effective, Reeves says. He declined to say how much he's spent and when future rollouts will be.

Palms Up At Schwab At Charles Schwab, technology has driven the eSchwab division to become the No. 1 online trader, with half of all trades conducted electronically. The San Francisco brokerage had 340 branches nationwide and had 6.6 million active customer accounts at the end of last year.

So when Schwab decided to deploy 2,500 Palm computers for wireless access to work-related data among its employees and technical-support staff, it was a relatively small-scale pilot for the company. With 18,000 employees, the pilot is sure to grow. Eventually, "we want to provide a connection to whomever we can, wherever they are, and with whatever device they choose," says Lee Mackey, Schwab's senior staff technology solutions provider.

Before wireless applications can expand, Mackey needs to build the infrastructure support. He's developing a solution based on an infrared LAN from Clarinet Systems Inc. and Palm handheld organizers.

So far, paper appointment books have been replaced with the Palm devices. Palms offer a companywide calendar where employees manage appointments and schedules and share contacts.

Mackey sees the potential for wireless connectivity soon going beyond personal productivity and time management. "We wanted to see how we could improve employee life by making data easily accessible with wireless," he says. Already, the Palms and other portable PCs, including notebooks and handheld devices, can synchronize with Remedy Corp.'s Link database and Clarinet's LAN access system. "We're working on a complete infrared solution, which won't require docking stations for transferring data," Mackey says.

Employees use the built-in infrared capability in their Palms to send and receive information using Clarinet's infrared system and Remedy Link to feed the information into Schwab's central database. Information can then be accessed and sent--when an employee is within three feet of an infrared eye--so the worker doesn't have to return to a workstation. Ethernet cables in the walls in various Schwab buildings will connect to a hub in Schwab's central network system.

In the future, Schwab's remote workforce will have wireless access to their Microsoft Exchange server data and personal E-mail. Schwab's support staff also has access to the wireless system to update technical support tickets. "If a user needs to install Microsoft Front Page, for example, a request ticket for Front Page is beamed via the infrared LAN from the user's Palm device to the Palm device of our support staff," Mackey says.

The primary benefit Mackey sees is faster communication. "Instead of having to go back to my desk to get on my computer, I can now walk up to an infrared port and do my data synchronization with the Palm," he says. In all, he says, the system saves one to two hours a day per technical support person. "If you have technical contractors at $200 to $300 per hour, this adds up to a considerable savings," he says.

WAP and the Wireless Markup Language will likely find a place at Schwab in the future. "In today's world, especially the financial world, information is critical," Mackey says. "All devices that allow us to get both our customers and our internal staff connected will be a great addition." Until the technology matures, Schwab will keep its pilots running and expand as the gains increase.

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