Cogent People

FRA Mobile Device Modernization Study

Mobile Device Modernization Study

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) commissioned the Mobile Devices Feasibility Study is to evaluate mobile technologies – Operating Systems, Technical Capabilities and Mobile Devices, for use in FRA inspection activities, accident investigations, and other compliance related functions. The goal was to identify one or more mobile devices with intrinsic phone capabilities to replace the existing Digital Track Notebooks (DTN) and phones used by FRA track inspectors. While the primary objective was to identify a mobile device to address the track inspectors’ field requirements, this study also evaluated enterprise implementation, maintenance and support factors.

Cogent People performed the following:

  1. Identified specific organization goals
  2. Assessed current technologies in relation to goals
  3. Shortlisted mobile technologies and devices
  4. Evaluated technologies and devices against pre-determined requirements
  5. Assessed enterprise factors

At the conclusion of the study, we delivered a comprehensive report that aided the department’s decision process. The report provided detailed information for the following factors:

  • Development Infrastructure Setup and Maintenance
  • Ease of Development
  • Availability of Programmers
  • Deploying Applications
  • Fragmentation
  • Device Security
  • Data Security
  • Network Security
  • Application Security
  • Virus and Malware Protection
  • Multitasking Capabilities
  • Updates, Upgrades and Patches
  • Helpdesk and Technical Support
  • Browser Support