Mentor Introduces XMobile Manager Software

CALGARY, Alberta (May 30, 2006) - Mentor Engineering, Inc. announces the release of XMobile Manager (XMM) software. Among XMM’s many functions is its ability to remotely program and manage Mentor’s mobile computing units.

According to Gord Howell, president of Mentor: “The XMM software package is the result of a year of aggressive research and development work. The purpose of this project was twofold: to satisfy the mobile device management needs of our existing clients, and to increase the flexibility of our mobile computing products, thereby expanding our customer base.”

Prior to XMM, upgrading mobile units in the field required an onsite visit from Mentor’s engineers or the hiring of a radio shop to program each unit individually. Considering that some clients own over 500 mobile units, this was an expensive and time-consuming task. In addition, clients were expected to keep manual records of the software programs and operating systems contained in each mobile device. These records were often misplaced or incomplete.

Created in response to these issues, XMM brings with it many benefits. Gord explains, “XMM can dramatically improve the tracking and programming of mobile units. It automatically documents the operating system version of each unit, and gives clients the ability to add or update mobile unit programs from the office within minutes. Plus, historical data including the status of every unit update is at the client’s fingertips.”

Here’s how it works. A simple IP interface connects XMM to Mentor’s Windows CE computers—Mentor Ranger® or Stryder®—as well as BBX, which is a wireless modem, AVL and data collection device. With a few clicks of the mouse, clients can view all software versions and programs sent by XMM that are contained within each unit. In addition, units can be renamed and grouped in collections for easy identification. For example, if clients want to know which mobile units in a specific quadrant of the city run a certain operating system, they can instantly define their search criteria, and all unit information in that group will be displayed.

When upgrading mobile units, clients use XMM’s wizard prompts to create a package that contains the necessary programs. Packages can include a new version of Mentor’s mobile application, operating system, image, navigational map or third party application. Clients schedule the exact time this package is sent to the mobile units and can follow its progress. To protect against corrupt files that could disrupt the entire fleet, a package is first delivered to a limited number of units. If this new package is delivered to the test units successfully, it can then be sent to the rest of the fleet.

XMM can send packages over either an air-time-free Wi-Fi connection or public data network, such as GPRS or Nextel iDEN network. XMM compresses the size of the packages, minimizing client costs if a public data network is used. The software also includes diagnostic tools so that mobile device problems may be remotely diagnosed and fixed.

As Gord explains, Mentor’s sensitivity to the needs of its clients and ability to lead advancements in the wireless industry is nothing new. “Mentor leveraged 18 years of mobile computing experience and utilized its in-house talent to develop XMM. This user-friendly and sophisticated program changes the way clients and system engineers interact with the mobile units.”

For more information about XMM, please contact your Mentor regional sales manager by visiting www.mentoreng.com/main/contact.php.

About Mentor Engineering

Founded in 1988, Mentor Engineering designs, builds, and implements mobile computing and automatic vehicle location solutions for the mobile workforce. Mentor has successfully installed hundreds of systems in multiple industries worldwide. Distinguished by technical innovation and services, Mentor focuses on system integration, training and ongoing support.

Looking ahead: Mentor continually works to increase the functionality of its products, and XMM will soon include report generation capabilities.