Technology Briefs - May 10 - May 16
The Latest Headlines:
- Xata Reports Higher Second-Quarter Loss
- WebTech Wireless Enters Long-Haul Market
- Peterbilt Offering Free Year of Sirius Radio
- Nextel, Partners Team Up in Mobile GPS Application
- Ohio Set to Deploy Communications Trucks
- WebTech Wireless Enters Long-Haul Market
Xata Reports Higher Second-Quarter Loss
Fleet-management technology firm Xata Corp. said it lost $1.6 million or 22 cents a share for its second fiscal quarter ended March 31, compared with a loss of $211,000 or 3 cents a year earlier.The company said in a statement that its decision to broaden its product line offering helped contribute to the loss.
Net sales declined to $4.3 million, from $4.7 million a year ago. Xata said subscriptions rose 117% in the first half of its fiscal year.
WebTech Wireless Enters Long-Haul Market
Telematics firm WebTech Wireless Inc. said Tuesday it was launching of services targeted to the long-haul trucking market.The British Columbia company said it will offer automated driver logs, fuel-tax reporting, schedule adherence, driver performance evaluation and remote back-office integration.
“These long-haul solutions will help us capture even greater market share in the burgeoning transportation market and are critical components in any trucking or transportation organization,” said Neil Chan, WebTech’s senior vice president for business development. Transport Topics
Peterbilt Offering Free Year of Sirius Radio
Peterbilt Motors Co. said it is offering Sirius satellite radio as a factory-installed option in Class 8 conventional trucks and the truck maker is providing a complimentary one-year subscription to Sirius programming for trucks ordered and built in 2005.“Satellite radio is growing as a requested option as operators enjoy the broad array of programming over a signal they can receive coast-to-coast,” said Scott Pearson, Peterbilt’s assistant general manager.
“Fleet customers are recognizing that satellite radio is a useful amenity that can help in driver attraction and retention,” he said. “Because [installation] is done at the factory . . . it is optimized for each chassis.”
All Peterbilt ConcertClass sound systems equipped with either a cassette or CD player are satellite compatible. The Sirius package is available for Peterbilt Models 357, 378-379 and 385-387. Transport Topics
Nextel, Partners Team Up in Mobile GPS Application
Nextel Communications Inc., TeleNav Inc. and Research In Motion said they were offering a global positioning system offering mapping and directions, accessible via a BlackBerry wireless unit.TeleNav, which is similar to in-car GPS navigation systems found in luxury vehicles, displays maps, graphical driving cues, speed, and direction, and provides audible turn-by-turn directions to help drivers get to their desired locations directly, the companies said. Transport Topics
Ohio Set to Deploy Communications Trucks
Within the next month the first of 11 mobile communications trucks will be stationed around Ohio to assist law enforcement agencies during emergencies, the Associated Press reported.The vehicles will help police and other officials communicate and better respond to flooding, ice storms, tornadoes, major crashes, terrorist attacks or other disasters, AP reported. The diesel-powered trucks, which cost $440,000 each, were paid for with Homeland Security Act grants, AP said.
They will give law-enforcement officials the ability to access the Internet, fax, copy, print digital photographs and put officials from across the state on the same radio frequencies, AP reported.
The trucks also have a conference room and space for a crime lab, AP reported. Transport Topics
