Mobile network EE has announced a connected car offering and other new products for businesses, all aimed at connecting workers, their customers and machines in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT).
Connected Vehicle from EE turns a car into a wireless hotspot, providing connectivity that allows workers to perform tasks while they are away from the office.
The product will be used by Staffordshire Police so that officers can spend more time on the streets and less time on paperwork.
The county’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis said: “My aspiration is for Staffordshire to be the most technologically advanced police service by 2016. Fast, reliable connectivity in the field means officers can spend more time in the community — allowing them to access critical systems remotely — and cut the time they spend on administrative tasks.
“Deploying 4G connected devices has already boosted efficiency, in some cases allowing officers to cut administrative time on jobs that could take days down to minutes. By providing high-speed connectivity in vehicles as well, we’ll be able to turn their police vehicles into hotspots — giving officers, support teams, and in the future partners, vital access to information on the move.”
EE will also offer 4G Rapid Site — a fully managed service that allows firms such as house builders to set up 4G broadband in much less time than fixed connectivity.
Another new service, 4G Public WiFi In A Box, will make it easier for customer-facing businesses to provide regulatory compliant 4G WiFi; while the 4GEE Capture Cam, a 4G streaming camera for consumers and businesses, enables firms to stream high definition video from wherever they are to their customers, partners and colleagues.
EE is also launching new mobile Interactive Messaging services and trials of the Patient GP and Clinical Observation apps to help facilitate better communication between the NHS and patients and provide better care to patients in hospital.
Introducing the new connectivity products, EE chief executive Olaf Swantee said that they would help businesses and public sector organisations “prepare for the IoT future where everything is connected”.
