In tandem with the new database Energy Management Services (EMS) which installs, disconnects and reconnects electricity meters for most of New Zealand's power retail companies, also got a mobile solution to empower its field workers.

EMS has about 230,000 records on its nationwide database and the number is growing rapidly. "Our Microsoft Access software was struggling to keep up," says managing director Craig Shepherd. "It was taking forever to access the records and there was an increasing incidence of data corruption. We knew we had to switch to something that offered more security and speed."

The company needed a cost-effective solution, which would be able to grow with its business needs, and eventually found an answer to its needs through IBM business partner Theta Systems.

The database specialist came up with a web and database solution using IBM's DB2 UDB (Universal Database) and Net.Data installed on a Linux server. That decision has future-proofed his company says Shepherd. "We now have plenty of capacity to expand."

EMS is engaged in a range of tasks including fitting, connecting and disconnecting standard Ferraris meters when users move, to the installation of sophisticated, programmable meters with dedicated software allowing remote monitoring of energy. The more capable database was necessary to keep track of such activities and to cater to the growing number of clients the company deals with. Theta Systems began the migration by copying the Access database, pre-configuring it off site and writing a program to transfer data into DB2 UDB.

The new database was installed on a Saturday to minimise disruption, and went live on the Monday without a hitch. The Access 'front end',  in effect, an OBDC link to DB2 UDB, remained unchanged because staff were all familiar with it. This meant no extra training was required.

The cost turned out to be only a fraction of upgrading and maintaining the previous system but was significantly faster, ultimately improving the efficiency of internal users.

"The new system has exceeded my expectations," says Shepherd. "Where individual searches were taking around 15 seconds on the Access database the new system takes less than half a second, and there's no corruption."

Theta Systems also developed a mobile WAP application to allow EMS' field force to update metering data online using mobile phones on GPRS.  It also developed an online web query application. "With a WAP-enabled phone we are able to transmit data about connections and disconnections directly to DB2 UDB. Records are updated automatically and a copy transmitted to the clients database."

For areas that are not serviced by the cell phone network, DB2 UDB provides the option to enter data on a Palm Pilot, which is synchronised with the server when operators get back to the office.

April 2003

Photo Caption: Craig Shepherd shows record entries made easy. EMS has begun using WAP-enabled cell phones for instantaneous updating of meter connections and disconnection's.