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Case Study
Centralis solution gives the AA toughness on the inside as well as the outside
Using CLAM™ for a secure, centrally managed interface.
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Overview
The AA has achieved ground-breaking levels of IT security and durability thanks to a new combination of tough hardware and software developed for its mobile workforce.
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Working with Centralis has allowed the AA to maintain the build quality, integrity and resilience of the patrol’s laptop PC. |
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Chris Bailey, Head of Business Systems – AA Road Operations |
The UK’s largest motoring organisation, which celebrates its centenary this year, has acquired 4,000 Panasonic Toughbook laptops combined with CLAM software from Midlands-based access specialist Centralis to ensure a winning combination of durability, security and low cost maintenance.
The AA combines experience and market-leading technical solutions to fix eight out of ten breakdowns by the roadside. To achieve this, every roadside patrol is issued with a laptop to provide them with advanced fault-finding technology, which helps them quickly and accurately diagnose electrical or mechanical problems.
The AA selected the Panasonic CF28 Toughbook portable to minimise hardware failures. The laptops are physically robust, featuring magnesium alloy cases and shock-mounted hard disks to withstand the worst that roadside conditions can throw at them. They are also very secure, remaining locked in a theft-proof metal vehicle cradle and communicating with its diagnostic probes via Bluetooth.
These rugged laptops feature call receipt and dispatch technology, plus global positioning satellite tracking, and full nationwide mapping to get the recovery vehicles to drivers as quickly as possible.
However, the new laptops have proved to be only part of the solution, with selection of some equally strong software.
Centralis CLAM
Centralis CLAM delivers a customised, locked down desktop, which replaces the Windows shell with a secure, centrally managed interface. For the AA, CLAM provides easy access to data and prevents the user from changing anything they shouldn’t be – even by mistake.
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CLAM locks that security in place and ensures that there is no unauthorised access, and no additional software can be installed or run. |
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John Dickinson, Centralis Product Manager for CLAM |
Using this combination of hardware and software, the AA has been able to provide its mobile workforce with leading edge technology without having to take on the costs of major support and maintenance overheads.
Chris Bailey, Head of Business Systems – AA Road Operations, said: "Working with Centralis has allowed the AA to maintain the build quality, integrity and resilience of the patrol’s laptop PC, improving the reliability and availability of the systems for the patrol. This in turn has helped to maintain a low cost base for the general support of the laptops."
John Dickinson, Centralis Product Manager for CLAM said: "CLAM adds an additional dimension to the Toughbook value proposition – providing an extra hard shell on the inside of the device. The laptops are pre-configured to a secure standard build before they are delivered to the roadside patrols. CLAM locks that security in place and ensures that there is no unauthorised access, and no additional software can be installed or run."
Commenting on the benefits of the Toughbooks and CLAM, Joe Pugh,
Panasonic’s Senior Program Manager said: "Panasonic Toughbooks provide
the AA with a strong total cost of ownership case. When the Centralis
CLAM software is added to this package this argument is strengthened
further. As well as Toughbook robustness to minimise physical damage,
the solution has the CLAM software to virtually eliminate software
problems."