Technology Briefs - April 19 - 25
The Latest Headlines:
- Ryder to Open RFID Test Lab
- RedPrairie to be Bought; Wins Exel Contract
- AirIQ Reports Increased First-Quarter Shipments
- Manugistics Takes Loss for Its 4Q
- Connecticut Offers Traffic Alerts Via E-Mail
- RedPrairie to be Bought; Wins Exel Contract
FedEx, Eaton Plan New Hybrid Delivery Trucks
FedEx Corp., working with Eaton Corp., said Friday it planned to add up to 75 diesel-electric hybrid trucks to its service fleet in the next 12 months, contingent on pricing and availability.The announcement coincided with the unveiling of two FedEx Express hybrid trucks in Washington, D.C., Thursday, which brought the company-wide total of hybrid trucks to 18. The rollout was a joint initiative with Eaton and the group Environmental Defense.
“Placing hybrid trucks in Washington D.C., and the planned increase for next year reflects the growing viability of hybrid trucks,” said John Formisano, vice president of global vehicles for FedEx Express.
Ryder to Open RFID Test Lab
Ryder System Inc. said Wednesday it opened a radio frequency identification technology test lab at its 196,000-square foot facility in Dallas.RFID is a wireless data-collection technology that uses electronic tags to store product identification data and a wireless transmitter to capture the data on the tag.
Ryder said it will use the lab to test RFID vendor hardware and software, tag placement configuration on products, package design and the integration of RFID to warehouse and transportation management systems.
Ryder is ranked No. 5 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers. Transport Topics
RedPrairie to be Bought; Wins Exel Contract
RedPrairie Corp. which makes supply chain technologies, said it had agreed to be acquired by Francisco Partners, a private equity fund. Terms were not disclosed.Separately, RedPrairie said it won a contract to supply performance management systems for supply chain management firm Exel Americas.
Exel will deploy the technology this year and beyond, tracking individual and aggregate productivity, RedPrairie said in a statement.
Exel Americas is ranked No. 1 on the Transport Topics Logistics 50 listing of U.S. and Canadian logistics firms. Transport Topics
AirIQ Reports Increased First-Quarter Shipments
Toronto-based telematics firm AirIQ Inc. said it had new subscriber growth of 18,099 units and record total shipments of 24,834 units in the first quarter.AirIQ operates as a wireless Internet applications service provider specializing in telematics, the information and control messages sent wirelessly to and from vehicles and vessels.
The company said the increases came from its commercial fleets, consumer, indirect distribution, vehicle finance and marine fleet divisions.
AirIQ, traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, said it would release its first-quarter earnings in May. Transport Topics
Manugistics Takes Loss for its 4Q
Supply chain technology provider Manugistics reported a net loss for its fiscal 2005 fourth quarter ended Feb. 28 of $17.2 million or 21 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $57.5 million or 74 cents a year earlier.The company’s revenue for the quarter fell 22% to $45.2 million, Manugistics said in a statement.
The quarter’s loss included $10.7 million in charges related to severance and other headcount reductions, the company said. Transport Topics
Connecticut Offers Traffic Alerts Via E-Mail
The Connecticut Department of Transportation has launched a statewide electronic highway traffic and rail incident notification system.The service is available free via e-mail, Gov. Jodi Rell said in a statement.
“This new service allows anyone who drives or rides the rails in Connecticut . . . to ‘know before they go,’” the governor said. “It will make our transportation system work better and allow traffic to flow more smoothly by providing ‘real-time’ information about congestion spots.”
Users can sign up for the service by going to the “Traffic Incidents” and “Register to Receive E-Traffic Alerts,” sections of the CDOT’s home page, www.ct.gov/dot. Transport Topics
