New version of asset management and maintenance software delivers on government organisations’ requests for enhanced mobile working capabilities, improved enterprise systems integration, and personalised task management 

Windsor, Berks UK, 5 November 2009 – Pitney Bowes Business Insight (PBBI), a global provider of location and communication intelligence software, data and services, today announces Confirm® v9.0, a major upgrade to the company’s flagship infrastructure asset management and maintenance system for local, regional and central government organisations.  Resulting from direct consultation with customers and in response to changes in government directives and industry codes of practice, this significant upgrade further helps to provide customers with a single, modular, industry code-compliant system for the management and maintenance of publicly owned assets.

Improved mobile working capabilities, achieved by enhancements to the Confirm Mobile module of Confirm v9.0, now provide a single version of Confirm Mobile with the ability to run on any mobile device including Pocket or Tablet PCs.  In addition, enhanced performance monitoring capabilities enable local authorities to monitor and measure the performance of outsourced, mobile contractors more effectively.  Mobile user productivity is also improved with the introduction of User Sortable Task Lists enabling users to optimise task scheduling and route planning.  Higher resolution mobile mapping capabilities enable users to more accurately identify, capture and register infrastructure assets in the field.  Collectively, these enhancements enable local authorities to improve the quality of public services and reduce the cost of services delivered from the field.

Improved enterprise systems integration via the enhanced CRM connector and document management API delivers streamlined integration and interoperability with existing corporate systems.  The latest CRM connector in v9.0 provides real-time connection with existing public sector CRM systems, including Lagan, Northgate and Microsoft.  A new document management API offers the capability to link to document management systems and enables users to access documents using the DMS reader.

Personalised task management is improved through the introduction of enhanced data drill-down capabilities to Confirm’s graphical management dashboard.  Confirm v9.0 affords users the opportunity to create personalised dashboards with direct access to operational screens, thereby enabling users to drive and monitor daily tasks more efficiently.

Other major enhancements include new functionality for specific departmental modules including intelligent time-aware mapping capabilities for Confirm Street Works enabling Street Works co-ordinators to assess, co-ordinate and manage the impact of street or road works on traffic flows more effectively.  The Street Works Permits module now enables the calculation of permit charges for work undertaken over specific periods and the issuing of statements, thereby directly reducing administration costs.

As municipal organisations move to more cost effective contract styles, the take up of Overarching Jobs will prove invaluable. This new functionality in Confirm v9.0 allows one job to be the parent of many, thus enabling costs to be logged against the overarching contract instead of individual jobs.

“In the current economic climate there is increasing pressure for public services to operate efficiently whilst continuing to improve the quality of the services they provide.  In close collaboration with our customers, we have been aggressively expanding Confirm over the last year to broaden and deepen its capabilities to streamline operations and deliver efficiency savings,” said Dominic McNeillis, Product Marketing Manager, EMEA, Pitney Bowes Business Insight.  “This relentless focus on customers has been paying off and more organisations are choosing Confirm as the definitive single, industry-code compliant infrastructure asset management and maintenance system to improve service quality and reduce operating costs.”

The availability of Confirm v9.0 is supported by a series of webinars for existing customers.  Running every Tuesday until December, each weekly session is dedicated to specific new features and functionality including Data Drill-Down & Alerts, CRM and Enterprise System Connectors, Document Management Links, Comprehensive Mapping, and Data Mining & Reporting.  Existing Confirm customers can find more information and registration details here.

In response to increased market demand, two webinars are being held on 17 and 24 November to provide a valuable introduction to organisations new to Confirm.  Registration details and more information are available here.

Organisations and users interested in keeping up-to-date with the latest discussion points pertaining to public infrastructure asset management and maintenance as well as the latest developments for Confirm are invited to visit the Confirm blog at http://confirm.pbbiblogs.com, or join the Confirm Users Online community at the IDeA Communities of Practice for Local Government web site at: http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk/welcome.do.