Pole Track (Palm OS)
Situation
Hayton Systems had a core application (ATS) used for tracking telecom equipment. ATS needed to be modified so it could be used for collecting data on utility poles.
Company
Hayton Systems (Arlington, WA)Primary Customer: Verizon
Action(s)
ATS was significantly more complex than the Pole Track application and new sections needed to be added and many old sections removed. I learned and documented the existing ATS code and removed many of the ATS features and replaced them with Pole Track features. Multiple engineers worked on this project and we integrated all of our pieces to create the final application. Geoff Shepherd was the original software designer and he led the team. I worked on most of the user interface, database restructuring, code documentation, and wrote the User Manual. JP Fulks did the GPS interface, and James Bielman implemented the backend server software and some of the subordinate UI screens. These were some of the finest software engineers that I have had the privilege of working with.
Outcome
This program was sold and used at Verizon to track and audit the equipment attached to their utility poles.
Benefits
Verizon determined that they were paying millions of dollars per year for unused utility pole leases. Verizon used Pole Track to audit the poles and determine what equipment was attached to the poles. Accurate information means Verizon could charge other companies appropriately for pole leases. It also means that Verizon will only pay for the space leased on poles owned by others.
Product Details
This application used the following:
- Symbol Palm OS terminal
- Linksys GPS adaptor
- Zebra portable bar code printer
- Application developed using Metrowerks IDE and C programming language