Trimble Free App for AMERICAN Flow Control Water Valves and Hydrants

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 10, 2016—Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today the release of its AFC Mapper App, a free, standalone Web and mobile app that can run on the latest version of the Trimble® Unity software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for managing critical water utility assets and field operations. The AFC Mapper App is designed to leverage technologies from Trimble, AMERICAN Flow Control (AFC) 2D barcodes and Esri to automate mapping and asset management of hydrants, valves and related water network assets, using Android- or IOS-based smartphones and tablets or Trimble handhelds. AMERICAN Flow Control, who manufactures the American-Darling and Waterous fire hydrant brands, is one of the largest and most well respected fire hydrant companies in the utility industry. Trimble Unity AFC Mapper App enables utilities to collect data in a single solution and bridge the gap between disparate information captured separately during construction, as-built mapping and on-going maintenance management of water infrastructure.

Trimble Unity is a GIS-centric cloud and mobile platform with a variety of individual apps and tools for supporting smart water management. The software focuses on workflow and business process improvement, and provides the added benefit of making information available for decision making and regulatory compliance.

“The AFC Mapper App enables water utilities to utilize a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) approach to leverage their existing smartphones and tablets in the field,” said Rami Naber, product manager for Trimble Water. “Using the AFC Mapper App, utilities can gather detailed and accurate data during the installation and repair of assets in the field—providing critical information for smarter asset management, daily operations and field work management. It enables customers to reduce operating costs and improve productivity by providing data to track asset performance while making information available to field crews on their mobile devices. AFC Mapper puts the tools for efficient data collection and asset management into the hands of field personnel in the most convenient form.”

Using AFC Mapper, utility field personnel can scan and record AFC 2D barcodes that are attached to hydrants and valves using a smartphone’s or tablet’s internal camera. This information automatically populates preconfigured AFC hydrant and valve data collection forms with the AFC detailed manufacturing specifications for quick and simple data entry. Additional photos can be taken and attached to the data collection forms. If equipped, the GPS position can then be captured by the phone or tablet’s internal GPS receiver, with a typical accuracy of 3 meters or higher. If greater accuracy is needed, the application provides an option to connect via Bluetooth to Trimble high-accuracy GNSS receivers such as the Trimble R1 and R2 receivers to achieve up to centimeter level accuracy.

Scanning the AFC 2D barcodes puts extensive, detailed information and specifications covering the equipment into the hands of utility field personnel and contractors, enabling them to view asset specifications, manufacturing information, torque values, repair procedures and other data on the spot, increasing efficiency and reducing accidental damage during installation and maintenance.