Intelligent Service Scheduling Solution Available as Stand-Alone Offering or as Part of Wireless Field Service Automation Solution
Southborough, Mass. - November 27, 2001 - ViryaNet (NASDAQ: VRYA), a leading provider of solutions for wireless field service automation, today announced the availability of ViryaNet Service Scheduler, an intelligent service scheduling solution that allows organizations to optimize their field engineers' schedules, deliver service on time, and comply with customer commitments. Service Scheduler is available as a stand-alone scheduling offering as well as an optional upgrade
to ViryaNet's Wireless Workforce Management solution.
"We are hearing from service executives across a wide array of industries about their need to improve their P & L by maximizing the productivity of field resources," said Win Burke, president and CEO, ViryaNet. "Their universal mantra is 'do more with less - without compromising customer satisfaction'. Customers are achieving high ROI by deploying workforce management solutions, and
scheduling is a key component of such a solution. The name of the game is coordinating the right person, parts, knowledge, and most efficient travel route, while improving customer relationships, increasing operating efficiencies, and motivating field staff."
"Service Scheduler is a big step beyond the scheduling functionality in our previous product releases," said Ron Ben-Natan, CTO, ViryaNet. "Service Scheduler offers advanced appointment booking and enhanced scheduling algorithms to manage manual, semi-automatic, automatic, and dynamic scheduling methods. With dynamic scheduling, ViryaNet's workflow engine automatically triggers the
scheduling algorithm for incoming tasks, making updates in real-time, without any need for manual intervention."
Service Scheduler works with ViryaNet's powerful, yet user-friendly Web-based Dispatch Board, which acts as a control panel for viewing and managing technicians' schedules. Using the Dispatch Board, dispatchers can monitor and manually edit existing schedules, check for calls in jeopardy, update technicians' profiles and calendars, view unscheduled calls, and track technicians' locations. As
part of ViryaNet's Wireless Workforce Management solution, the Technicians' Calendar enables technicians to manage their own schedules via a Web browser or from a customer's site using wireless devices, such as PDAs, pagers, and WAP phones.
Appointment Booking
ViryaNet Service Scheduler provides a self-service option to an organization's customers, allowing them to log calls and schedule appointments over the phone or via a Web browser. ViryaNet provides APIs that allow customers to utilize appointment booking capabilities, enabling them to interface directly to other call or contact management systems.
Optimization Engine
Service Scheduler includes an optimization algorithm, based on heuristic rules and weighted constraints, that automatically determines the best technician and route. Service Scheduler reviews skill sets, availability, and locations, thereby reducing technician travel time and increasing productivity.
Mapping and Routing
Service Scheduler provides the option of either using street or zip code based routing. Service Scheduler takes into account each field engineer's appointments and tasks, and creates an optimal schedule and route. Service Scheduler also provides a mapping interface, which allows technicians and dispatchers to view driving directions, the location of field engineers' current and next assignments, and
recommended travel routes.
"This new release will provide our customers and prospects with the enhanced scheduling functionality they need to operate efficiently," said Win Burke. "However, we recognize that some organizations will continue to require some highly specific features that we do not offer in Service Scheduler. For these organizations, we are pleased to continue recommending and reselling the offerings of
ClickSoftware and ESI."
About ViryaNet
ViryaNet is a provider of solutions for wireless field service automation.
The award-winning ViryaNet Service Hub combines the power of the Internet, the freedom of wireless technologies, and the resources of ViryaNet's deep service expertise to help companies improve workforce scheduling, dispatching, and activity reporting; customer contract and entitlement automation; and logistics and repairs management.
Customers in the telecommunications, manufacturing, utilities, third-party maintenance, and other industries use ViryaNet Service Hub to transition complex service business processes into a manageable, scalable Internet operation, with the goal of increasing service revenues, decreasing service costs, and maximizing customer satisfaction.
Safe Harbor Statement
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding ViryaNet's expectations, beliefs, intentions, or strategies regarding the capabilities of its
products, its relationships with its customers, its customer purchases, its future operational plans and objectives, its future business prospects, its future financial performance, and its future prospects for profitability. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based upon information available to ViryaNet Inc. as of the date hereof, and ViryaNet Inc. assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These and other risks relating to ViryaNet's business include market acceptance of and demand for the Company's products, risks associated with a slow-down in the economy, risks associated with the events associated with the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the USA, risks associated with competition and competitive pricing pressures, risks associated with increases in costs and operating
expenses, risks in technology development and commercialization, the risk of operating losses, risks in product development, risks associated with international sales, and other risks that are set forth in ViryaNet's Form F-1, as amended, declared effective by the SEC on September 19, 2000, and the other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance. You should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as the date hereof. ViryaNet disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.