clivewatson +1 (also on the messenger part)
I can understand that if you work in an organization such as Eurocontrol where possibly everything is done by a workgroup (we donīt have to be cost effective, do we? After all, if our approach to things costs more, there is the never ending spring of user fees that we just can adjust...) its hard to understand that there is people out there that work without backup. Without operations. Without a computer that is permanently online.
But as usual with eurocontrol, we will not be heard, we will be ignored.
The intention is that the telephone Helpdesk service will be reduced to a bare minimum this summer season. A live date for the E-Helpdesk is currently being decided and we will inform you as soon as we have that information.
Actually Iīd require a vomiting smiley.
Flowman, could you please post the email address of the guy in charge?
I am putting together a business case for a smartphone application that would enable pilots to access the CFMU E-Helpdesk directly from the flight deck (or anywhere else for that matter). This would be most beneficial to pilots of bizjets who need more flexibility to meet their passengers' demands. I would value your opinion as to whether you would see this as beneficial to your customers or not.
No backoffice therefore no CFMU-NOP access when not in office. So if the telephone helpline is shut down we MUST have something to use in the cockpit. And that is not only because of the flexibility of my pax, but to be able to cope with all the crap that can go wrong when flying (no coach available to take you to the airplane, congestion at the security check, handling agent vanished and not reachable via phone, fuel late, catering late, gnd freq congested etcetcetc)
To use a computer - handheld or not - is definately less effective and takes longer than using a phoneline.