There are many situations where head-office staff need to carry out on-site field audits. In such a scenario, a field auditor can carry a notebook connected to a client-information database. The following examples illustrate this type of implementation:

• IRS and tax audits by federal or state agencies (up to 8000 agents in the USA alone are equipped with notebooks connected to IBM mainframes);
• Financial audits in the field by accounting firms such as KPMG, Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young.
• Site inspections by building permit inspectors;
• Environmental control inspections;
• Automobile insurance adjusters.

Significant Customer Application Profiles/Case Study
IRS (Internal Revenue Service) of U.S. initiated a pilot in early 2001 to equip 150 agents to use notebook PCs to perform audits of diesel truck drivers who are truly mobile.  It makes sense to catch them on the road, so to speak. These notebooks are connected through a wireless network connection to a wireless VPN (SafeNet VPN equipment employed by by Secure Dial-in - a government VPN). Modems and dial-in software were provided by Sierra Wireless Inc.  The government intends to expand this to more agents in future.

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Field Force Automation  (also called Dispatch or Computer-Aided Dispatch) - Go here