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ASI’s mobile data distribution solution provides a complete turnkey solution to utilities wanting to publish and distribute digital map data across their enterprise. ASI’s ids Viewer mobile data viewing software is a Windows-compatible product that allows for fast searching, displaying, redlining and plotting of graphical and tabular data compiled from various standard and legacy information systems. additional information about ids

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The ids Viewer reads data published at user-specified intervals by the ids Server. The ids Server compresses, processes, and packages native GIS data and legacy tabular data into a tiled, Windows-compatible format to allow for superior display speed and simple, secure distribution of large amounts of spatially indexed data. The ids Server can package data from multiple data sources. Even different GIS systems from different operating companies or business units can be combined into a seamless map coverage for a single region or an entire operating area.

The ids Viewer software provides a thin client interface for seamless map viewing across the entire map area, and is optimized for the display of both vector and raster data using standard desktop, laptop and pen computers. Custom search functions and an optimized search index are provided to increase overall system search performance.

As a result, standard ids Viewer display and search function speeds rival those found on specialized GIS systems hosted on high-end workstations. The user interface is a standard Windows desktop UI that increases user acceptance and reduces training and support costs. The end user can control all default display settings and many other application properties via settings forms. In addition, application themes can be configured, specialized application specific views can be saved, and redline notes can be created and shared. The ids Viewer software runs on all modern Windows operating systems, and it can be licensed for single or multiple concurrent users on physical or network installations.

Mobile Data Distribution -Process Applications
Some examples of the GIS data distribution applications include the following:

Dispatch: Using ids software, dispatchers, truck crews, locators, engineers, customer service representatives and other operational staff all share the exact same view of the digital mapping data. This information sharing serves to improve communications between all parties. For instance, dispatchers can send redline notes via wireless LAN or similar links to truck crews. The ids notes automatically center the responding truck crew’s ids view on the dispatcher’s notes to speed the location of the trouble area.

Outage Management: Utilities can dramatically shorten response times during outages through applications that easily and quickly provide needed information to crews. During storms, with the digital map data in the field, the assessment and restoration process is aided by immediate access to the primary distribution circuitry tied to your customer information data. Quick turnaround of information on the area affected and the extent of damage has allowed operations staff to more accurately estimate the number of restoration crews and amount of material required, relay precise locations and also direct restoration crews to major customer impact areas as a top priority. In addition, the documentation of damage and material requirements allows the field personnel to transmit facility replacement information to the GIS data management group to update the digital map base.

Compliance Management: Proof of compliance with local, state and federal regulations is of paramount importance to utility asset managers. A properly conceived GIS integrated with a compliance management system can ease regulatory reporting requirements. Not only can these integrated systems ease the burden of generating maps, graphs and charts that detail proof of regulatory compliance, but they can integrate with state and federal information repositories.

Customer Service: Access to accurate and detailed digital map data at the service representative’s desktop improves the overall accuracy and quality of the service request process. The time required to provide services is often reduced if the representative is able to more accurately classify, document and route each service request. In all cases, giving the customer service representative access to GIS data empowers them to better serve the needs of their customers.

Economic Development and Marketing: Utility companies often invest millions of dollars in the design, development and deployment of advanced GIS solutions to address engineering and operation needs. Using available data distribution and viewing solutions, utilities can also take advantage of this data asset to promote the following economic development goals:

• Expand customer base (generate additional commercial/industrial customers)
• Improve and grow the utility (infrastructure)
• Provide better customer service (establish brand loyalty through faster, better and value-added services)
• Keep utility costs competitive (do more with less)

On-demand Plotting (Printing) of Maps: The ability to easily create printed output on-demand and to-scale from any computer connected to any printer through standard Microsoft Windows print drivers is an important feature. On-demand plotting provides for the ability to create hard-copy maps for decision support, disaster management, and compliance management.