This Energy Insights report discusses the mobile technology landscape in the North American utility industry and how utilities are using these technologies for their field crews in the energy delivery asset life-cycle business processes. Mobile personnel -including field crews -and remote assets are a way of life for utility companies. Information technology for these groups is a different story. Paper and pencil have been the traditional choice for mobile communications and data sharing, but things are changing. As operational efficiency and reliability demands grow, more utilities are considering ways to use technology to better support their mobile personnel and equipment. To better understand the status of mobile technologies in the North American utility industry, this report will:

"Because of rapidly changing technologies -such as short cellular phone useful lives and changing communications networks -Energy Insights found that early mobile technology adopters are still grappling with many of the same issues as utilities just venturing into the world of mobility." -H. Christine Richards, senior research analyst, Energy Insights.