Air Canada mechanics needed to access information, includingmaintenance manuals, diagrams and as many as 10 different datasystems, and Keung realized early on that devices connected through awireless carrier's data network wouldn't have the necessary bandwidth.Furthermore, overhauling back-end systems to make them accessiblewould be prohibitively expensive. Instead, Keung deployed a wirelessLAN-based solution, investing in complex encryption and authenticationtechnologies that would keep it secure.

What devices to use was another un-known. "We tried a few," saysKeung. "We started with a handheld device, but the mechanics didn'tlike it. They have to wear huge gloves in the winter"this is AirCanada after all"and the number of data sources and diagrams madehandhelds way too small." Eventually, with help from IBMIBM, Keungdeveloped a tablet-like device that could be mounted on a mechanic'struck. Alles zu IBM auf CIO.de

During the five-month pilot, Air Canada found that productivityimproved. Mechanics didn't have to travel back and forth to the hangaras much, and it was easier to plan for repairs. If a plane heading forVancouver needed a widget, management could make sure the widget wouldbe there, waiting. "That all has a bottom-line impact," Keung says.She believes that the pilot made a (modest) contribution to AirCanada's 2002 $134 million second-quarter operating income increaseover 2001's second quarter.

It was, in fact, the only North American-based international carrierto post a quarterly profit.

The next step, says Keung, will be to roll out the devices graduallyto Air Canada terminals in other cities.