Going wireless
To solve the problem, the city developed a Web-clipping application, pictured in Figure A, to run on the handheld devices.

FIGURE A

The Animal Control application allows Lincoln's animal control officers to be always up to date.

An IBM mainframe computer provides the robust back end and hosts the city's Web server. Government officials can now wirelessly access the city's animal control database from any location. Further, the total system includes a portal (at http://www.ci.lincoln.ne.us) that enables citizens to access a government services guide including building permit searches, accident report look up, and property tax assessment.

The PalmPix digital camera is used as part of the total solution. The device snaps onto the handheld computer, enabling animal control officers to take digital pictures as documentation of animal and health violations. This ability assists the City's legal department, enabling them to take action against violators as appropriate.

Benefits to the agency
The wireless, Web-based system allows the City of Lincoln to utilize its current network infrastructure and existing application software solutions. Each time the city Web enables an application, it can include a routine that detects the device type requesting the information and can format the output accordingly, all within the same program. When the city creates the applications, it automatically embeds the ability to deliver information to fit either normal browser requests or handheld computing devices.

The ability to grow the user base and not affect the existing wide area network is of tremendous benefit to the city. Because the mainframe system and the handheld devices complement each other, the system allows the city to grow the number of concurrent users indefinitely. The handheld system enables the city to leverage its authority to grant right-of-way access to additional towers, if desired, to expand the signal strength and range of the local Palm wireless network.

Another benefit of using the wireless handheld devices is that they allow the officers to eliminate excess paperwork and become truly mobile workers, responding much faster to calls. The new system provides mobile employees with the ability and freedom to stay in the field, responding to citizens' needs, instead of continually returning to an office desktop PC to retrieve information.

Because the wireless handheld program has proven such a success within the animal control unit, the City of Lincoln is now providing all departments the added benefits of retrieving decision-making information remotely, including email capabilities, via handhelds. Now, animal control, police, fire, sheriff, weed control, and other government agencies share channels on the dispatching system, truly connecting all public safety components in their city.

The City of Lincoln is committed to the deployment of a truly mobile workforce, utilizing wireless Web technology and applications to serve the citizens in the most efficient and cost effective manner, as demonstrated by its use of Palm handheld devices and a Web-based, back-end server.

Megan Obrist is an account executive with O'Keeffe & Company, a full-service marketing communications firm focused on delivering results for leading business-to-business and business-to-government IT&T clients. For more information on O'Keeffe & Company, please visit http://www.okeeffeco.com.