CUSTOMER"Geography was always my favorite subject in school" Liao Jia reminisces. "I was deeply influenced by my teacher who inspired my curiosity about the world. A world I longed to see and touch with my own eyes and hands". Perhaps this dream has come true for Liao.
After a flailing career in advertising, Liao Jia decided to make her life passion for traveling and adventure a full-time job. She became a professional travel writer and photographer, recognized by thousands of people in China who have read her articles in newspapers, magazines and websites. In her Fiat Uno car, Liao Jia has made 10 auto trips around China covering over 80,000 km, between 1996 and 2000. She is the first person to drive solo through Europe and Asia, and in 2002, Liao took a six-month trip to all 31 provinces in China covering 60,000 km.
CHALLENGELiao's travels often lead her through remote places around China with grueling weather conditions and not a person in sight. The Internet is a source of information that she relies on heavily for updates about the weather, road constructions and hotel reservations. She needs e-mail to communicate with her editor and to submit articles and photographs for her two weekly travel columns.
Previous to a wireless solution, Liao could only access information through dialup connections in hotel rooms. It could take a few days or sometimes over a week to travel from one hotel to another, leaving Liao with no Internet or e-mail access.
Liao considered wireless local area networking (WLAN) for a wireless solution but found the coverage to be too limited for constant travel on the road. After much research, Liao concluded that wireless wide area networking (WWAN) would provide her with the ubiquitous and reliable coverage she needed and set out to find the best wireless devices.
SOLUTION
IBM provided her with the Thinkpad T23 laptop and highly recommended the Sierra Wireless AirCard 750 wireless network card. The company also introduced Liao to digital technology provider, Kaihongdu, who provided her with an AirCard 750. Since that day, Liao has been able to stay connected wherever her travels take her. Even in the most isolated village in Guizhou or along the Chinese-Russian border, Liao's AirCard 750 gave her reliable wireless access.
RESULTS
By simply sliding the AirCard 750 into her laptop, Liao could effortlessly stay in touch with her editor. Because she could send articles and pictures to her editor by e-mail anytime anywhere, Liao significantly increased her productivity while on the road.
Consistent e-mail access also allowed Liao to communicate better with the head office. This is extremely important during emergency situations because she could ask for help and receive instant responses.
Another benefit of the AirCard 750 is around-the-clock Internet access. Now, Liao can stay up to date on the latest weather and road conditions, helping her better organize her travel schedule.
"The Sierra Wireless AirCard 750 is a perfect match for my gypsy lifestyle. If it can keep up to my connection demands, I think it has passed the ultimate mobility test!" Liao exclaims.
FUTURE
Liao will be embarking on her most ambitious trip to date in September 2004, a one-year auto expedition exploring six continents, visiting 50-60 countries along the way.
"I'm extremely excited about this next trip. As usual I will be writing several columns to share my adventures with everyone." Liao says. "My AirCard 750 will be with me every step of the journey!"
CONTACT:
Sharlene Myers
Sierra Wireless
Phone: (604) 232-1445
smyers@sierrawireless.com