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Independence with mobile data
For the many months we have looked at mobile data applications, and whilst across varying sectors of the emergency services, mobile data solutions have been used to great effect with the increasing requirement (and in particular for the police) to increase visibility, mobile data is certainly a means to assist in improved efficiency, visibility and better serving the public. However with more and more applications and greater demands on the quantity of data traffic not only are the bearers important, but also how the use of applications will fit within the business process of the agency or service it is designed to meet. With these very thoughts in mind, we take a closer look at the need to be bearer independent and also address the issues raised about the usage of mobile data in the recent interim report on The Review of Policing, by Sir Ronnie Flanagan...
The great debate, “evolution or revolution?” when addressing mobile data is a sound starting point when looking at current and future trends in mobile data and the answer? It should be evolution - although many will argue the opposite. However, mobile data technology has been around for some time now and it shouldn’t be a case of how the technology can revolutionise the public safety sector - but how the technology can help each agency evolve to meet the increasing demands placed upon it to better serve the public. And as with any means of technology being utilised to help drive efficiency, the business process must and always will come first.
Addressing issues as to how varying degrees of mobile data usage can suit differing current day (and future) requirements, plus clearly identifying what potential impact this will have on the day to day business management, certainly points to evolution and perhaps even more importantly accepting that one solution will not fit or indeed meet all requirements.
The growth in data traffic is a prime example of how one solution to meet all needs can’t be achieved. Airwave, for instance is an ideal solution for interoperable voice communications - but the key word here is voice. And even as the network itself will confirm, it was designed for voice traffic - accepting that (and in particular, considering the investment made by the police and other emergency services, it is a major advancement in voice communications). Therefore the question as to what bearer is best suited for data traffic becomes increasingly important. Discussing this issue with a number of both users and industry suppliers, there is undoubtedly a fear of using public networks for security and reliability issues. However, even these points can be counter argued against - security for instance with such high levels of encryption both at the platform end, the use of data packet transfer and the investments the networks are placing in security measures essentially means that the majority of, if not all of these fears can be alleviated. However, perhaps even more pressing is that of reliability - we are all to aware that in times of a major incident scenario or even events days such as New Years Eve, the public networks become overloaded creating a problem if relying on the network to send or receive mission critical data. And even if ACOLC (ACcess Over Load Control) is evoked, there remains potential problems which have been seen in the past - 7/7 being a prime example.
The answer is therefore to look to be bearer independent. As pointed out by David Lawford, APD, “Bearer independence is really the solution and as an industry it should be incumbent upon us all to provide advice to this nature. Everyone is aware of the short comings of Airwave for certain applications yet it is understandable that many forces will want to use the service for data transmission due to the investment levied on the network. There is also a level of fear and intrepidation since it isn’t clear what the costs will be for using the Airwave network for data. I do believe it is right to look at using the service, but users should also consider complimentary networks too, hence the desire to be bearer independent.”
Roy Hawes, Beat Systems agrees wholeheartedly, stating that the ability to toggle between networks, seamlessley and transparently to the user is certainly the most robust means of data transmission. Commenting further, Peter Harris, Arqiva said, “In pilots we have been involved in, both Airwave and GPRS have been used. Airwave is perfectly fine for short data transmissions, but there can be conflicts if held up by voice traffic. For instance if trying to send data, it is held up because of voice traffic it creates a bad user experience and because the bandwidth of TETRA is not broadband it is not really suitable for large quantities, images etc. Accepting it is totally secure and private but its usage for data is limited.”
Hawes continued by pointing out that an important element to data transmission reliability is that if the signal is lost momentarily the solution must be able to automatically synchronise and update providing a resilient and robust application for mission critical usage.
cost benefits
There are certainly cost benefits to using Airwave, but with data costs reducing on GPRS and as 3G is rolled out the increase in bandwidth will enable faster and more reliable transmissions. Harris added, “There is without doubt a need to be multi bearer but this means having devices that can cope and are designed as open standards. It is easier for in-vehicle terminals but more difficult for handheld devices.”
Continuing Lawford added, “As more and more applications are being considered, such as the use of video footage - bringing with it valuable operational benefits to use images at the scene of a crime for instance, if this is required to be sent in real time TETRA will struggle and the voice/data contention continues since they can’t be used in tandem. Therefore the device needs to be multi bearer independent. Suppliers, through software, should be able to intelligently route the information. I.e. mix encrypted GPRS, TETRA, 3G etc, the flexibility needs to be built in so intelligent choices can be transparent to the user.”
Essentially if the data transfer is primarily using TETRA and the message fails, the user doesn’t need to know if the application re-routes the data via another bearer - all the user needs to know is that the message has been sent and delivered securely and rapidly.
alternative carriers
When looking at alternative data transmission bearers, another option that could be considered is Mobitex. This is a proven digital packet network and as pointed out by Lawford is the only network supplier that currently provides a meaningful SLA. Mobitex (now owned by BT Transcomm) however is narrowband, therefore it is difficult to send images. “I think the challenge is to encourage manufacturers to design OEM modems to fit inside handhelds enabling bearer independence. Even during 9/11 the data network was the only bearer that kept running.”
MESH and WiMax are two other potentially interesting bearers and as pointed out by Lawford, APD already has customers that can update through Wi-Fi, “If encryption issues are met then this would be another option for the emergency services.” The use of Wi-Fi is currently being deployed in New York, and considering the benefits this is bringing to cross agency interoperability it could potentially be the future for the UK. But as pointed out by Lawford, who would be prepared to build a Wi-Fi network that didn’t just cover major cities, but say for example the loop of the M25? A potential driver for this however, could be the Olympics in 2012 - if the finance is available from the Government, a WiMax type network could be rolled out.
Discussing this issue further with Arqiva, Harris confirmed that they had the frequency available that could be used to build a dedicated network for the emergency services. “We are looking at this possibility since public networks get very busy in a major incident scenario.”
Arqiva’s current mobile data solution is multi bearer and in the future could be used to store and forward packets of data as required. “It is an ongoing development,” confirmed Harris, “Where two bearers could be kept open in parallel.”
Satellite communications are another area that can bring benefits to mobile data transfer and work incredibly well in terms of coverage and reliability, plus are suitable in remote areas that other networks may struggle to provide adequate coverage for. All in all, with the varying choices available, and the recognition that not one service will fit all needs the end result has got to be bearer independence. Having accepted that, the next step is to encourage industry to build devices with open standards, such as are currently available within the smartphone and PDA consumer markets.
platform independence
Another area and one in operation at BTP and at Cheshire Police is platform independence. The ability to use a common services platform, for example as at Cheshire Police who are using BlackBerrys, PDAs, Tablets, MDTs etc, the screen content looks and feels the same therefore the population of information rendered to the device in a similar format irrelevant of file or size. What is more, as pointed out by Hawes, “I believe the solution to be unique, an officer can log on once, the system knows his profile and therefore all information pertinent to him and his role is rendered in a usable format. It is a similar operation with intelligence reporting at BTP, the mobile data solution is designed to populate forms requiring only one set of form filling and security issues are avoided as the solution is set to CESG standards ensuring encryption at the necessary levels.
driving efficiency
In fact the use of mobile data currently in use at BTP is a prime example of how mobile data can drive efficiency and meet the suggested requirements within Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s interim Review of Policing report. In fact, the report highlights how the use of mobile data can enable more efficient policing from evidence involving BTP, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Strathclyde and Sussex police forces.
Commenting, Andrew Watson, BTP said, “We have been able to verify that the use of mobile data has enabled officers to spend an additional 51 minutes out on the beat (equating to roughly 10% of a shift).”
As many will be aware some police officers have been concerned about the increasing levels of paperwork and in fact, Panorama highlighted this very recently with the ‘Wasting Police Time’ documentary. Therefore, even with the advent of technology such as mobile data, although PNC checks and other database searches can be achieved whilst out on the beat, improving the efficiency of control room staff, no longer required to handle calls from frontline officers of this nature, can it really help keep officers out of the station longer?
Watson is emphatic it can, providing officers are provided with the ability to print and cross populate forms. “One of the areas that is unique to our usage,” said Watson, “Is the ability we have provided officers to print stop forms, reducing the need to return to the station with potential offenders. The officer simply completes the data at the scene, prints the form, hands it to them and that encounter is now closed. Even with intelligence reporting, the data can be recycled via drop and insert, there is no need to re key data and it is very user friendly.”
BTP utilises commercial GPRS, and although it also has Airwave devices, the force has ruled out concerns about security using GPRS since all of the data traffic is encrypted, the devices are encrypted and no data is actually stored on the device, therefore should an officer loose it no risk is presented.
When discussing the how the solution was accepted by officers, Watson agreed there were cultural issues, however, the selection of Beat Systems, was due to the fact that the mobile data solution was modelled around the forces business process. Commenting further Watson said, “In order to ensure success it was not simply a case of understanding the benefits that mobile data could bring and training officers, but physical requirements such as the uniform. At BTP we redesigned the uniform creating a vest overlay which has pockets specifically designed to house the PDAs and printer. We also worked closely with officers to ensure there were no cultural issues. In addition to which, drip feeding the roll out meant that officers who were trained in, and using the mobile data applications became the best source of propaganda to roll the solution out force wide.”
Watson believes however that every service should remember that mobile data is not a panacea, but a decision support tool and perhaps even more importantly it does not produce a change in the business process but simply supports it.
“Mobile data applications are all about decision support and the volume of data is to a degree not as important as the content, which enables officers to make better informed decisions and assists them in job.”
“The ability to print,” emphasised Watson, “Is key to the success. You are not saving time, or improving efficiency if you can’t print whilst out on the beat and I guess that is the cultural hurdle. Examples can be seen, for instance if criminal justice moves to street based justice, i.e. ASBOs being issued by police the only way to achieve this efficiently is to serve papers whilst out on the beat.”
Admittedly there could be concerns in the amount of equipment an officer would be required to carry, however, as mentioned earlier, re-designing the uniform to house both printer and PDA, selecting printers such as the Brother which is only 12mm thick BTPs officers have not found having the equipment an issue. Commenting further Watson said, “With the equipment being low profile, carrying it on the body has not been an issue and this was the reason we selected a cartridge printer as opposed to a roll printer. Every stop necessitates the use of one sheet of paper and the printer cartridges hold 50 sheets, therefore officers carry and additional pack with them. Since the introduction of printing stop forms, we have seen a 93% increase in the number of stops and it has not created any additional paperwork.”
BTP is already beginning to evolve its mobile data usage and is currently trialling a mobile version of ANPR, the force is also looking at biometrics although to a degree this is currently restricted with the bandwidth currently available but one of its long term plans is for a mobile CCTV strategy and the ability to instantaneously circulation images if and when required to officers who are remote from the station.
and to the future
Mobile data applications that are bearer independent, platform independent and based on open standards can certainly pave the way for more efficient dissemination and utilisation of information. Furthermore additional evolvements to solutions are already taking shape, which can also make form population even easier. Beat Systems, for instance has developed a voice recognition solution that enables officers on covert operations to keep an eye on the subject or in-deed officers driving can benefit, an area that Cheshire Police is soon to embark upon. Concluding Hawes said, “Our solution is also designed to be multi-agency too, we believe that multi agency capability combined with platform and bearer independence will allow true interoperable and sharing of data whilst away from the station.”
