Palm Handhelds are First to be Certified for Use in Petro-chemical Industry

LPG Central Now Can Extend Mobile Solutions to Potentially Dangerous Petro-chemical Environments

21-May-2002

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 20 The Palm(TM) m500 and m505 handheld computers are the first handheld Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to be certified as free from any possibility of igniting flammables that may be present in petro-chemical environments. The two Palm handheld models, which were certified by Underwriter Laboratory, will be labeled with an electrical-classification rating for Class 1, Division II Groups A, B, C, D environments, which include most refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities.

This classification clears the way for companies such as LPG Central, a Tulsa, Okla.-based solutions provider for the petro-chemical industry, to extend their software solutions into these environments for the first time on a truly mobile platform. By combining the Palm m500 and m505 handhelds with LPG Central's applications, petro-chemical businesses can streamline operations, reduce paperwork and improve efficiencies while ensuring the highest level of safety. LPG now can expand its mobile solutions into those environments where previously it was limited due to the possible presence of flammables, thus providing their customers with new ways to work efficiently and safely.

LPG Central -- Delivering Gas, Oil and Propane More Efficiently Today, LPG Central, which sells a route-optimization solution to commercial and industrial oil, gas and propane distributors, already is reducing operational costs for its customers with Palm handhelds. LPG's customers use Palm handhelds and LPG Central's custom SmartFill software to automatically generate a driver's delivery route and optimize the order of deliveries, minimizing the distance traveled by each delivery truck. Drivers record delivery information on Palm handhelds and generate invoices onsite using a Monarch printer. At the end of each day, delivery and invoice information is downloaded from the Palm handheld to the office computer via HotSync(R) operation. Previously, LPG Central customers were required to generate invoices from handwritten logs, which then were mailed from the main office. When compared to the paper-based process previously used by LPG Central customers, the Palm handheld-based process of generating and submitting invoices onsite during a delivery speeds cash flow, reduces clerical mistakes and eliminates data-entry labor costs. The use of handhelds has cut operational costs for LPG Central's customers by an average of 20-30 percent. With the cost of delivery trucks averaging $2 to $4 per mile, LPG Central's route optimization is generating a large part of this savings. LPG Central, already a global leader in wireless oil, gas and propane tank management, plans to update its handheld solution so that data can be sent wirelessly from Palm handhelds to the office throughout the day as deliveries are made. The company also is working on a handheld application for field service calls that optimizes service routes and allows technicians to perform onsite billing.

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