Nerds on Site Inc. provides computer service to business and home customers across Canada and in parts of the U.S. The “”nerds”” get their marching orders from a system containing all information on clients and service calls. The problem was that the traveling service technicians had to find a way
of connecting to get the information they needed.
With a name like Nerds on Site, of course the company turned to technology to solve this problem. When Telus Corp. launched its 1XRTT service early this year, “”I had one guy using them the day they were out,”” says Loralee Wettlaufer, chief administrative officer at Nerds on Site in London, Ont.
Now, about 25 employees across Canada use the 1X service and the number will soon double, Wettlaufer says.
With 1X interface cards in their notebooks, or cables to connect their notebooks to digital cell phones, the technicians can pick up work orders and report in when calls are completed, uploading work-order details and payment information. They also use the system to communicate with head office and with each other.
The company says the wireless connections have cut response time to calls from three hours or more to 90 minutes or less.
Nerds on Site has found coverage is available almost everywhere the company wants it. One technician in New Brunswick cannot use the system because the rural area where he works lacks coverage, Wettlaufer says, but others have no problems.
Nerds on Site has about 150 technicians across Canada, and Wettlaufer expects most will eventually use the 1X network.
“”The speed is certainly not as fast as being direct-connected,”” she says, but “”it’s certainly much faster than dial-up.””