December 10, 2001 1:15 PM, EST

Trucking Technology Alert - Dec. 10

The Trucking Technology Report and Alert are compiled by Information Inc., a supplier of news summaries for vertical markets. Information Inc., subscribes to nearly 7,000 news sources, including: major newspapers and magazines; regional, national, international, and business wire services; weekly and monthly trade journals; business periodicals; legislative sources and non-industry sources.

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Today's Technology Headlines:

Samsung Introduces Link to Cell Phone's Future
Pagers Dying As Cell Phone Use Rises
Holiday Boosts Shipping Web Sites
Supply Chain Optimization Just Beginning

Samsung Introduces Link to Cell Phone's Future

A review of the Samsung SPH-I300 digital phone. Although the Samsung SPH-I300 is basically a digital phone with a Palm IIIc with color screen built in, it does provide an idea of what third-generation (3G) promoters are hoping will soon arrive on the market.

With 3G, handheld devices should be able to surf the Internet and display full-motion color video almost as fast as a desktop PC does today. Right now, the SPH-I300 operates using 2G, which is much slower than 3G. Nevertheless, the phone can provide all the things a high-end digital phone is expected to handle, such as wireless Internet access, pager text messaging, voice dialing, voice mail, and caller ID. In addition, the SPH-I300 can do all the things a Palm can do, such as keeping a business-strength contact list and calendar, providing a broad variety of toys and tools, and--with the aid of special Palm software--enabling users to watch short film clips, view color photographs, and download content like magazines and newspapers.

At the moment, users need to dock the SPH-I300 to a PC to download things like AvantGo.com (for newspapers), because the device can only handle speeds of around 10-kilobits per second. When 3G finally becomes available in 2002, future phone models should be able to provide high-speed Internet access, thereby eliminating the need for desktop docking. Chicago Tribune (12/09/01) P. C4

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Pagers Dying As Cell Phone Use Rises

Pagers are slowly disappearing, thanks to the ubiquitousness of mobile phones. Motorola, the wireless technology behemoth, seemed to sound the death knell of pagers when it recently announced that it was stopping the distribution of one-way and two-way pagers based on traditional paging technology, although the company stated it would continue to develop messaging devices for wireless telephone networks.

According to SoundView Technology, Motorola currently possesses between 80% and 85% of the traditional pager market, in addition to which, it licenses the technology to over 20 companies. For Motorola, the decline in demand for pagers is not a big deal, because the company is also the second-largest manufacturer of mobile phones in the world. Reuters (12/09/01); Iwatani, Yukari

Holiday Boosts Shipping Web Sites

Nielsen//NetRatings reports many Web users accessed shipping and delivery sites last week to send or track packages already mailed for the holiday season.

According to the agency's figures, 1.3 million Web users accessed the U.S. Postal Service's official Internet site, which is an increase of 76% in comparison to the week before. The United Parcel Service also saw its number of Web visitors increase 45% to 1.5 million, while FedEx reported 824,000 visitors, an increase of 27% in comparison to the week before. NetRatings' Internet analyst, Kim Pillon said " surfers appreciate the ability to use the Internet to track the packages they send, especially during the holiday season" and noted "shipping Web sites additionally provide holiday mailing tips, giving surfers a convenient way to make sure their packages arrive on time at the correct destination." Reuters (12/07/01)

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Supply Chain Optimization Just Beginning

Forrester Research analyst Ted Schadler envisions the Internet becoming a tool for companies to enhance their entire supply chain networks. Several companies, such as Zara and Mexico-based cement manufacturer Cemex, are installing Web-enabled sensors into their field and factory equipment.

For instance, Cemex uses global positioning sensors to monitor the location of its trucks, which allows for faster delivery times. Schadler expects XML and Web services to produce the next generation of Internet services, referred to by Forrester as the X Internet. Microsoft, Sun, and Appstream and Curl are among the group of companies developing technology for the X Internet. In the future, Internet applications will become more prevalent in buildings, telephones, and vehicles. InternetWeek (12/06/01); Wagner, Mitch

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