Learn about the Wireless Leadership Awards 2009
Business Impact Award
Jim Balsillie, co-CEO, RIM with award winners Deb Kwiecinski and Kevin Walsh from JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Winner: JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Chase's Home Lending team has developed a BlackBerry application that allows mobile sales lenders to take an application
in less than five minutes, get an initial credit decision in less than 30 seconds, and obtain a final approval in less than
one hour. Chase has found success using the Equity On the Spot application at Home & Garden Shows, Trade Shows, Sporting
Events, Employee Events, and anywhere a customer is. This solution has increased application volumes, reduced data entry,
and eliminated the traditional paper application – clearly demonstrating how the BlackBerry solution can be leveraged to
make a significant business impact.
Finalist: Pitney Bowes and Antenna Software
Pitney Bowes wanted to give their 2,400 field technicians a simple way to input and retrieve near real-time information
from their Siebel and SAP systems and to link inventory use to services. They worked with Antenna Software to mobilize their
Field Service system using Antenna Software's AMPower SERVICE on the BlackBerry smartphone.
Technicians now use their BlackBerry smartphones to easily access work orders, customer information and to manage inventories. With this ability, Pitney Bowes has reduced customer call backs, shipping costs and inventory levels.
Finalist: SK Sonnenklima GmbH and Schad
German-based SK Sonnenklima GmbH manufactures energy-efficient air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The company wanted
customers to have an easy way to change settings on the equipment, which are often installed in inaccessible places such
as building roofs. They worked with their partner, SCHAD, to create EXTEND 7000, a wireless application providing remote
control ability to reset levels and manage service from BlackBerry smartphones. The resulting decrease in downtime, technical
support requirements and travel costs for repairs have meant significant cost savings. The company now ships every unit
with a BlackBerry smartphone equipped with this customer-friendly application.
Innovation in the Private Sector Award
Jim Balsillie with award winners David Sampson and Laurence Dale from British American Tobacco
Winner: British American Tobacco, 3i Consulting, Viigo and Neverfail
British American Tobacco demonstrates the power of mobility with three of their many BlackBerry solutions. First, working
with 3i Consulting, they've extended mobile access to internal SAP systems, which ensures executives can approve purchase
requests and Human Resources needs, even when they're traveling. Bottlenecks in the system are a thing of the past.
Second, Viigo helped harness the power of RSS feeds, giving employees current information that's valuable for professional and personal use on their BlackBerry smartphones. Third, Neverfail created a wireless disaster recovery system for the BlackBerry smartphones that is so seamless employees have no idea anything has happened, even when server maintenance is underway.
Finalist: Merrill Lynch and Intuition
GoLearn - Learning via BlackBerry is an application developed by Intuition that helps mobile Merrill Lynch employees, who
spend very little time in the office, continue to benefit from learning programs. The application on the BlackBerry smartphone
integrates with Merrill Lynch’s online Learning Management System, so people can learn during ”naturally occurring down
time”, such as commuting or waiting at airports. The BlackBerry solution has been so effective that participants now take
their courses in about 45% less time, saving about four to six hours in lost productivity per annum. These employees have
also scored higher on competency exams than their colleagues studying in a traditional online format.
Finalist: Grupo Dadrev and AtelMedia
In Spain, Grupo Dadrev agronomists are battling infections among the country’s palm trees. Working with their wireless partner,
AtelMedia (Atelsys), the company created the ARFID application for the BlackBerry smartphone. It helps agronomists control,
maintain and track the evolution of every tree. Not only can they look up tree species and appropriate cures for diseases,
they can trace each infected tree to the source. Using Bluetooth bar code scanners with the BlackBerry smartphone, they
can scan information on the trees that identifies the nursery. They also keep a record of photographs on their devices of
the tree’s progressing health. And when they need to locate a specific tree, GPS technology on the BlackBerry smartphone
helps take them to its exact location.
Innovation in the Public Sector Award
Jim Balsillie with award winner Girish Chhugani from the City of New York
Winner: City of New York and TeleNav
In a city of 8.2 million residents, keeping track of potholes, graffiti and excessive litter is difficult and often relied
on citizen reports. The Street Conditions Observation Unit (SCOUT) was formed by the Mayor to patrol the streets and find
problems more proactively. Fifteen dedicated inspectors use a TeleNav Track application on their BlackBerry smartphones
to enter what they find on New York’s streets and neighborhoods into customized wireless forms. The information is then
wirelessly routed to the appropriate agency for corrective action. By monitoring city streets and wirelessly tracking conditions,
the City of New York is able to quickly resolve problems and improve the quality of life for its citizens.
Finalist: Chicago Office of Emergency Management & Communications
When something goes wrong and police, fire, ambulance or EMS is called, the Chicago Office of Emergency Management & Communications
is on the job coordinating the response. Using the Chicago Emergency Management System, an application they developed for
the BlackBerry smartphone, this public safety organization greatly simplified the task of tracking and managing incidents,
gathering and sharing critical information and coordinating multi-agency responses. In short, everyone who needs to know
is in the know and responses are more seamlessly managed.
Finalist: Salt River Project
Because Salt River Project provides electricity to about 920,000 retail customers in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area,
it knows the importance of having a disaster recovery plan just in case key systems fail. Using the BlackBerry solution
and SRP Contacts, an application they created, they pushed out the most current contact information to key personnel. That
means when something goes wrong, the right people are immediately accessible, with their correct contact information. Their
new wireless application has eliminated the need to manually keep this information up-to-date, and keeps emergency teams
in constant contact with each other.
Congratulations to all the winners and finalists!
