As the use of mobile telephony continues to expand exponentially, the development of the infrastructure necessary to manage and support its growth follows. With its ability to manage, analyze, and display spatial data, GIS provides the ideal platform to develop the many different applications necessary to support a mobile telephone communications network.

Vodafone D2, headquartered in D�sseldorf, Germany, is part of the largest mobile communications company in the world, with networks in 28 countries located on five continents that serve more than 133 million customers worldwide. In Germany alone, the company maintains more than 16,500 antenna sites and 40,000 radio serving cells. Vodafone is one of the largest companies in Europe. It is positioned at the forefront of the mobile telephone industry and known for its technical advances, being among the first, for example, to adopt the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) as its standard format for transmission.

Based on the Global System for Mobile Communications standard, UMTS provides a set of consistent services, including the transmission of text, voice, video, multimedia, and high-speed access to the Internet, for users—regardless of where they are in the world.

Comments Mohammed Belfqih, product manager at Vodafone D2, "Our vision is to help people enjoy richer communication anytime, anywhere."

Vodafone began the implementation of its GIS in the 1990s and has progressively expanded the use of ArcGIS solutions throughout its entire organization, including its Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, and Customer Care Departments. Vodafone was the first company in Europe to obtain an Enterprise Licensing Agreement for Esri products. More than 2,000 technical staff members are now using GIS applications throughout the company, as well as many more employees who are taking advantage of GIS Web-based services. The GIS software in use includes ArcInfo, ArcView, ArcEditor, ArcSDE, and ArcIMS.

A strategic application for monitoring and maintaining Vodafone's mobile network is the Fixed Network Visualization Tool (FVT). ArcView software provides the critical Geographic Presentation component. This component allows an exact global overview of the fixed network, making it possible to visualize the entire network, or any part of it, superimposed on a geographic map. Both the logical and physical networks can be examined in a number of different ways by using various coverage levels and filter capabilities. The GIS component of the FVT provides a variety of information, including details regarding network elements, lines, and connections, as well as the corresponding integrated equipment, connections, and related routing. The wiring capacities of leased lines and radio links, as well as routing and failure analysis capabilities, are also available. Configuration parameters used to create new links for alternative connections, such as microwave or landline, are managed by the Database Config Tool found within the Geographic Presentation component of the FVT. The application also includes a Schematic Presentation component using Visio and a Hierarchy component implemented with Visual Basic.

Belfqih indicates that location-based services (LBS) is a logical technology for Vodafone to target in providing new GIS-related services to its customers. He predicts, "LBS applications based on GIS technology will be very popular with the mobile phone user. The ability to access information related to one's immediate vicinity is important to our users because it expands their personal experiences."

Belfqih views the integration of GIS with other corporatewide systems of strategic importance to the future of Vodafone's corporate environment. "It is important to integrate our GIS with other enterprise software, such as Call Center, CRM, and SAP, to derive full advantage from our GIS implementation."

For more information, contact Mohammed Belfqih, Vodafone D2 (e-mail: mohammed.belfqih@vodafone.com).