BT package manages remote staff

Easy to use interface aids workers

BT has announced MobileXpress, an upgraded end-to-end managed service to help companies manage remote and mobile users and teleworkers.

MobileXpress packages remote-working technology, which BT acquired from Infonet, with other BT remote-working services, such as BT Openzone Wi-Fi, 3G roaming and broadband access.

“What the Infonet technology gave us was quality customer-service experience in the management of data communications and application delivery,” said Aaron McCormack, vice-president for Global Products at BT. He added, “MobileXpress is a package fronted by a new client that we’ve put together in BT Labs, which is capable of supporting different ways of accessing comms services.” He also acknowledged that “Infonet itself carries a better brand name than BT remote access services ever did”.

Sandra O’Boyle of Current Analysis commented, “MobileExpress has been around for a while as a flagship Infonet service. It’s a nice managed remote-access solution with an easy-to-use interface.”

BT said that users will be able to easily connect from over 150 countries worldwide via straightforward client software – using only one user ID and password – whether they are mobile, teleworking or even flying. McCormack added that the package is similar to rival services from AT&T and iPass.

Such packaged services may lead to simpler billing in future – providing corporate customers with a single bill rather than many from disparate sources. McCormack acknowledged that this is one aim for BT. “Eventually corporates will have all their billing directed to their corporate account enabling their whole spend to be managed centrally,” he predicted. He added that BT is trying to get all the members of the Broadband Wireless Alliance to agree to such unified billing for wireless access.

McCormack indicated that BT will offer two categories of service-level agreements – one offering guarantees for communications over its own infrastructure and the other for client software.

“We’d guarantee the performance of the client and when deployed, we’ll check that there’ll be no problems with say, firewalls,” he added. “What we won’t guarantee is third-party hotspot connectivity and hotel broadband connections.”