The manufacturing industry spans a wide variety of markets and technologies. We will only demonstrate a few areas where Voyager Edge can add significantly to the solution. The possibilities, however, are as wide-ranging as the problems they solve, from managing a service workforce to tracking and ensuring delivery and safety of products as they move through the distribution chain.

Workforce Management in an Installation and Service Environment
Companies depend on a well-trained, well-equipped and motivated field service workforce to supply, install and service their customer base. Manufacturers realize that timely response to their customer's request for service and fast and efficient problem resolution means the difference between winning or losing market share. In a highly competitive environment, managers are constantly challenged with ways to increase customer satisfaction while maintaining a tight rein on costs.

Voyager Edge is the ideal platform for distributed computing solutions within a distributed workforce network. There are a growing number of wireless devices with which to communicate coupled with the increasing importance of getting information to and from the technicians in the field in a timely fashion. The complexity is increased when you add the vast array of mobile devices, access providers and networks that vary greatly in their transmission capabilities and reliability. These distributed, mobile workforce characteristics present challenges that Voyager Edge can meet head-on.

Voyager Edge is platform independent and can process on a vast number of operating systems including PDAs, smart phones, sensors, laptops, tiny-footprint processors like gumstix™ and scanners, etc. In the mobile workforce environment, application created using the Voyager Edge platform will be able to:

• Provide real-time dispatch and daily maintenance schedules that are continuously re-prioritized based on critical need
• Pass on-demand product information between the field service personnel and the enterprise and between field service personnel on a client-to-client basis
• Access and update service history in real time
• Equipment will be manufactured with on-board intelligence capable of self-diagnosis and will transmit diagnostic information to the service technician
• Access inventory, place orders and drive updates to the re-order entry system in real time
• Process credit card payments
• Create contracts or change existing contracts