The system, known as Connected Field Service (CFS), was released last year and is in use by equipment manufacturers, maintenance companies and equipment users. Such users include utility companies, oil and gas firms, and manufacturers. CFS employs a variety of wireless technologies (including RFID) to capture the sensor data, says Amit Jain, ServiceMax's senior director of product management, while in some cases it also utilizes wired connections.

ServiceMax provides field service software and mobile applications for businesses that need to manage assets, Jain explains — anything from wind turbines or elevators to small appliances. The software is designed to manage data about each asset and its field service, as well as schedules for future services. It enables users to schedule services and track the parts and inventory used with that asset.

The ServiceMax mobile app (for iOS, Android or Windows) adds another layer of visibility by allowing technicians to view details about a particular asset — by entering that asset's ID number into the system — and to record new information in the fieldindicating which parts are being used, what service is being provided and the time required to accomplish that. The data can be collected, managed and stored in the cloud, Jain explains.

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