Innovations Spurred by the Demand for Mobility

The simple cell phone of just a few years ago has come a long way. Today, people across the globe are using a variety of next-generation mobile devices to listen to music, take photographs, browse the Web, play games, and do their banking—not to mention making simple phone calls. The Apple iPhone®, for example, combines three devices in one—a sophisticated mobile phone, a widescreen iPod®, and a breakthrough Internet device that enables users to multitask. The rapidly expanding world of applications such as Facebook and Twitter is fueling mobile user demand for ever more bandwidth and capabilities, which in turn encourages more innovation in products and services, causing demand to grow exponentially.

In response to the soaring need for mobile services, Hughes has introduced new iPhone applications to extend mobility to two of its digital media offerings: the award-winning Hughes Learning Portal service and the Hughes MediaSignage® digital signage solution.

Distance Learning—from Anywhere

The Hughes Learning Portal provides organizations with a turnkey training and learning system, complete with a private-branded, secure Web site for organizing, managing, and distributing training and presentation content, which can be up and running in less than 48 hours. Now, with the mobile capability of the new iPhone application, users can directly access training material stored on the portal using an iPhone or iPod Touch® device—no matter where they are.

Offering a rich media experience for the user, the new application supports Microsoft® Office and PDF documents, iPhone-ready video, and images in several formats. The portal enables organizations to easily and cost-effectively track student progress, produce custom reports, and administer assessment exams. All progress reporting is stored within the portal system and users can even take assessment exams right from their iPhone or iPod Touch.

“By adding the power of mobility to the Hughes Learning Portal, customers now have access to distance learning and presentation content anytime, anywhere on their iPhones,” said Mike Tippets, vice president, Hughes Solutions Group. “This application is a key next step in the evolution of our solutions that enhance learning systems and communications capabilities for our customers.”

Instant Emergency Response

Similarly, a new iPhone application for Hughes MediaSignage enables network administrators to use their iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad® devices to instantly disseminate critical information and emergency notifications. Hughes MediaSignage is a digital signage solution that provides a method of delivering dynamic, content-rich audio and video, effectively replacing legacy print media such as printed signs and billboards with modern digital display panels.

Hughes MediaSignage can be delivered to multiple sites within a building or to selected sites around the globe, and offers the ability to create unique content tailored for each site via custom channels, programs, and schedules. With the new iPhone application, administrators can pre-define messages and, with a single touch, update their entire Hughes MediaSignage network to display messages for employees or customers.

“Events don’t always happen when administrators are at their desks. This mobile application makes it possible for Hughes MediaSignage network administrators to make critical updates in real time,” added Tippets.

As the need for mobility continues to grow, mobile devices will continue to get smarter and more feature-rich. That’s why at Hughes, communication solutions are continuing to evolve—addressing the needs of tomorrow before we get there.