I was debating on wether or not to put this under technology, but then I thought, this is far more important to PMC’s and PSC’s. Look folks, the reality is, is that smart phones are going to be everywhere in the near future. They already are for the most part, and if you look around, you will see many people using them. If the factor is price, even that is going down, and soon they will be as cheap as current GSM phones. Even folks in Iran or Iraq are using smart phones, and as they get cheaper and more available, this technology will become even more important and relevant to the private military and security industry.
And I would even argue, that smart phones will be essential tools for the security contractor of the future. I have witnessed contractors use these phones, and they love them. They can bring up Hushmail (free encrypted email), GPS so they can find airports or training facilities or do a convoy operation down the road in Iraq, they can talk to home via Skype (free VOIP service), browse the internet, do their banking, read the forums and blogs, check their Facebook account or follow some Tweets on Twitter–the uses are endless. Hell, even on iPhone, you can get sniper windage and elevation calculation applications.
And as you watch what is going on in Iran with the current ‘revolution’, Facebook and Twitter are essential tools for organizing and reporting. Companies could be doing the same thing, and tapping into their resources out there. Every employee is a human sensor and a piece of the machine. If you get that person connected to the company, then the free flow of information will go back and forth within that company, and really promote cohesion/unity and hopefully some shared reality. Most of all, if the company listens to suggestions or acts off of interesting intelligence gathered by employees out in the field, then that company could very well have the edge over other companies and even the enemies out there working to kill employees.
So how could companies use this stuff. Well for one, a company could actually develop a smart phone integration plan, where they put the power of the human resources department in the hands of employees and contractors. The way I envision this, is that you as the independent contractor or employee could log into your company profile on the company intranet page. This page would be a combination of a social networking site and human resources/finance page. Everything you need to do business, should be accessible by smart phone. From doing some kind of online contract signing (hell, if you can bank online through a phone, you can sign a contract), to inputting times to get paid, or submitting per diem claims….I could go on. The point is, this technology is there, and companies need to look at how they can use it.
I could take this a step further, and suggest to companies that they could issue phones to new employees or contractors. The phone could be completely set up at headquarters for that employee/contractor. If that individual is hired, they are sent a phone as a part of their issued equipment–much like a weapon. They are responsible for it. Or, that individual is required to down load off the main company website, the application necessary to run the company intranet. Either way, the employee/contractor is to have a smart phone that is connected to the company.
Now for OPSEC and PERSEC. What companies have to realize is that individuals are already communicating openly online and have been doing so for years. Contractors have Twitter, Facebook, Skype, Myspace accounts, and they use them often. Go on the blogs or forums, and there is just so much being thrown around about the companies and what is happening in the industry, that controlling it all just seems a joke. How can you?
The best thing a company can do is to try and emphasize what they mean by OPSEC and PERSEC and use the tools to help implement that (like Hushmail), yet still provide a place for their people to hang out on and spew ideas. Make the efforts to password protect the company intranet, and make a security plan for it.
The point is, you just cannot shut that information ballet down, and to do so, is like throwing away money (in the form of good ideas). Kaizen does not happen in a box, and companies have to figure out ways to get their folks excited and involved with the company. Remember, people will support what they help to create, and creating an outlet for your people to give suggestions/learn/grow/etc. is essential. Yet again, I point to the age of your work force coming onto the scene. The millennial veterans are here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and they are all out of bubble gum. lol (obscure They Live quote)
When the employee/contractor has finished the contract or is fired or leaves for whatever reason, the company shuts off the phone remotely. If the phone is not returned, then the company simply garnishes wages or charges that individual. If the company is smart, they would get phones that would be tough enough to survive wartime duty. Which brings me to the MIL-STD-810 label for phones and devices. I mentioned the Ironkey earlier as a tough thumb drive, and that thing is also a MIL-STD-810 device. As for smart phones that have that label, there are only a few. The Apply fan in me would suggest an iPhone, but as for tough smart phones that get the military stamp of approval, the list is pretty small. Here is one phone that fit the bill though.
The only thing I would add to this is a push to talk feature. If you are not concerned with milspec devices like this Imate, then I would probably go with one of the Blackberry phones with push to talk on it. Lot’s of stuff out there, and these little buggers are getting cheaper and more plentiful.-Matt
——————————————————————-
I-mate 810-F
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manufacturer i-mate
Available TBA
Screen 320×240 px, 2.8 in (71 mm), LCD, 4:3 aspect ratio
Camera 2.0 megapixel rear
Operating system Windows Mobile 6.1
Input QWERTY Keyboard and Touchscreen
CPU Marvell PXA310 at 624 MHz
Memory 128 MB RAM
256 MB ROM
Networks Quad band GSM 850 900 1800 1900, GPRS, EDGE
Connectivity Bluetooth 2.0
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
Battery 1200 mAH Lithium-ion battery
Physical size 111 mm (4.4 in) (h)
66 mm (2.6 in) (w)
15.5 mm (0.61 in) (d)
Weight 150 grammes
Form factor ruggedised PDA, Smartphone
The i-mate 810-F is ruggedised quad-band Internet-enabled Windows Mobile smartphone. Its name comes from the US military standards for environment tests, MIL-STD-810. I-mate claims the 810-F can withstand temperature extremes of up to 60 degree and -20 degree celsius. It is also waterproofed to 1 metre, and shockproof.
It has a rubber exterior, with a filter over the earpiece to maintain waterproofing. Metal screws are exposed so you can check the factory seals have been maintained, and there is a small plastic stylus located in a slot at the back of the phone.[1] The 810-F features a QWERTY-keyboard, a 2.45-inch 320×240 pixel touchscreen and a five-way clickable navigation pad.[2]
It runs the Window Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system, with Internet Explorer 6. It offers a digital compass, A-GPS features and a three-axis accelerometer. There is also a 2MP fixed focus camera and 2 GB of storage space.[3] There’s no microSD slot to maintain its environmental coherence. Connectivity includes GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0.
I-mate provides a lifetime guarantee for the 810-F (subject to warranty terms and conditions, registration and annual service plan).[4] The company’s Secure i-Q service also enables you to remotely lock, wipe or alarm the 810-F if it’s lost or stolen via a web application.
*****
i-mate 810-F. The world’s first complete lifestyle mobile with a lifetime warranty.
* It’s one of the world’s toughest phones. Built for adventure in any indoor or outdoor environment.
* Built for life. In these tough economic times, you want a phone that will go the distance.
* Brains and Brawn. Based on Windows Mobile® 6.1, you can send/receive email, surf the internet, take photos, record videos, listen to music and sync all your information back to your PC.
* Versatility plus. Jam packed full of business ready smarts so it’s very comfortable in the city lights, but you can also take it off road.
* QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. Fast emailing and texting. Get the best of both worlds.
* Fast and fully connected. Powered by HSDPA and EDGE, it also comes with Wi-Fi and A/GPS.
* Outsmart security threats. i-mate Secure i-Q means you can use your PC to remotely lock/wipe/alarm your 810-F if it’s ever lost or stolen. Now that’s smart.
* Easy to use. You just point or press and go. Plus you get the back up of 24×7 support if you need help at any stage.
* Lifetime Warranty1. We guarantee your 810-F for life.
* Take anywhere. Your 810-F can go where you go. Beach, work, park, home, on a building site, up a ladder, down a creek, anywhere you like.
Check it out here.
*****
The military standard MIL-STD-810 test series addresses a broad range of environmental conditions that include: low pressure for altitude testing; exposure to high and low temperatures plus temperature shock (both operating and in storage); rain (including wind blown and freezing rain); humidity, fungus, salt fog for rust testing; sand and dust exposure; explosive atmosphere; leakage; acceleration; shock and transport shock (i.e., triangle/sine/square wave shocks); gunfire vibration; and random vibration. The environmental management and engineering processes described within MIL-STD-810 can be of enormous value to generate confidence in the environmental worthiness and overall durability of a system design. Still, there are limitations inherent in laboratory testing that make it imperative to use proper engineering judgment to extrapolate laboratory results to results that may be obtained under actual service conditions. In many cases, real-world environmental stresses (singularly or in combination) cannot be duplicated in test laboratories. Therefore, users should not assume that a system or component that passes laboratory testing also would pass field/fleet verification trials.
Listed on the MIL-STD-810 acceptable phones.