MobileView
The Drive that Went Nowhere
In 1997, as an employee in Qualcomm’s handset division, Tia Cassett was keenly aware of issues with the network trouble-shooting process. Back then, if a network carrier customer complained about dropped calls, an engineer would literally drive around the reported trouble area while trying to duplicate the performance issue on test equipment in his car.
This diagnostic method—aptly named “the drive test”—was inefficient and, at times, unable to duplicate the problem. In addition, drive testing only addressed issues on the road; it couldn’t begin to solve functionality problems in homes, malls or office buildings. The result: inefficient support for subscribers.
Ultimately, MobileView will enable increasingly consistent and dependable network performance—which is quickly becoming a necessity, not just a nice-to-have.
Then Cassett, with the help of co-worker David Ross, had an idea. “It was initially met with some skepticism, but I believed that we could use remote diagnostic capabilities to revolutionize network performance testing,” says Cassett, now senior director of business development at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. She took the idea to her management team and then to Irwin Jacobs, then Qualcomm President and CEO. “He liked the idea, which resulted in staff resources, and we went to work.”
Filling in the Holes
Fast forward to 2007 and the commercial release of MobileView™, a product that improves handset and network performance and now also enables the collection of mobile usage activity data. Additionally, MobileView not only minimizes the inefficient drive tests, but it expands the diagnostic range to include the entire network—including residential and indoor settings.
An opt-in software application, once activated, MobileView can remotely monitor cell phone activity and performance directly from Qualcomm MSM™-based handsets. This data—which can be used to optimize networks, debug handsets, enhance customer care, and improve product planning—benefits everyone in the wireless value chain: carriers, device manufacturers, infrastructure manufacturers, and application developers.
Cell Phones That Work When and Where We Need Them
Ultimately, MobileView will enable increasingly consistent and dependable network performance—which is quickly becoming a necessity, not just a nice-to-have. “In a world where so many of our daily needs are converging into our cell phones, they must work when and where we need them,” says Jayesh Bathija, a senior tech support engineer at Qualcomm and a member of the MobileView team. “Sure, a dropped call is annoying; however, that will feel like a non-issue compared to losing connectivity if you depend on your phone to monitor your pacemaker.”
Customer-Centric Innovation
Throughout the MobileView project, Bathija has been struck by Qualcomm’s consistent attention to the needs of the end user. “We have an exceptional ability to keep our focus in line with that of our network customers. This ‘customer-centric’ philosophy demands a tremendous amount of research and creativity and, in my experience, has been the starting point for all our truly innovative ideas.”
Corporate-Supported (Brain)child-Care
Cassett believes employee empowerment leads to success stories like MobileView. “I didn’t have to give away my brainchild,” she says. “I felt like I was given complete ownership, my own company within the company, with both the flexibility and responsibility to do what needed to be done. I suppose at some companies there are roadblocks all the way, but at Qualcomm, they let you go for it.”
Innovation: It’s Not Just for Engineers
It is of interest to note that Cassett is not an engineer. “I think there is a public perception that you have to be an engineer to be successful at Qualcomm. While we are definitely an engineering-driven company, we have great minds throughout the organization,” she says. “It’s understood and expected that inspired, creative ideas can come from anywhere.”
