Trucking Technology Alert - Sept. 12
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Both the online report and e-mail are sponsored by @Track Communications, a supplier of wireless communications and dispatch services.
Today's Technology Headlines:
- Callers Swamp Phone System
- Net Tops Phones In Effort to Make Contact
- Kmart Restructures Supply Chain
- Sony Launches ‘Life Online’ Service
Callers Swamp Phone System
Following the recent terrorist attacks in the United States, the country's wireless and phone networks were completely overloaded, as people searched for loved ones and answers.In the Northeast in particular, regular telephone networks were clogged in places. International callers, as well as wireless users inside the United States, got busy signals for much of the day. Wireless and phone companies discouraged people from making non-essential calls, so that law enforcement and emergency officials could get through. According to AT&T Wireless, a number of cell sites near the World Trade Center were not working--so calls were being rerouted.
Peter Thonis, a spokesman for Verizon Communications, says the attacks in New York destroyed a call-routing switch that served 40,000 customers, most of them corporate tenants of the towers. Verizon is currently working to reroute other circuits. In the meantime, a number of wireless companies have redirected antennas and brought in mobile cell towers to ease congestion in the Northeast. USA Today (09/12/01) P. 4B; Backover, Andrew; Davidson, Paul
Net Tops Phones In Effort to Make Contact
In the mad dash to contact friends and loved ones in the wake of the devastating terrorist attack in New York, the Internet proved a more reliable means of communication than the phone system, which was swamped by a massive volume of calls and hampered by severed lines. Internet operators say traffic swelled as users began hitting news sites for updates and using email and instant messaging for communications.For instance, Site59 CEO Michelle Peluso was able to contact all but two of her company's 65 employees within 90 minutes via email and instant messaging. Unlike phones, which require an uninterrupted open circuit to complete calls, the Internet breaks up computer traffic into packets that are transmitted independently. Wall Street Journal (09/12/01) P. A3; Thurm, Scott; Mangalindan, Mylene; Berman, Dennis
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Kmart Restructures Supply Chain
Kmart has reported that beginning this month, the company will change its distribution center network and institute Manhattan Associates' PkMS supply chain execution solution.The company's soft lines, like apparel, will be initially affected by the change, followed by their hard lines, like luggage and hardware, will be impacted by the end of the second quarter 2002, says Kmart spokeswoman Susan Harris. Two distribution facilities will be replaced, with slower-moving products being placed in one of the new facilities, says chairman and CEO Chuck Conaway. Retail Tech (09/11/01)
Sony Launches ‘Life Online’ Service
Sony Electronics, a division of electronics behemoth Sony, has launched it MYLO (My Life on Line) wireless Internet service for users of Sony's notebook PCs and handheld computers. The new service provides mobile access through a one-touch interface to email and instant messaging applications, as well as financial information, weather reports, sports scores, and local news.According to Sony, the wireless service which is powered by GoAmerica and its Go.Web wireless Internet technology compresses and encrypts data while reformatting the information for wireless users, who can then search WML- and HTML-based Web sites, bookmark their favorite pages, and personalize information. NewsFactor Network (09/11/01); Wrolstad, Jay
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