Trucking Technology Report - July 11
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PNV.com Connects With Truckers
Since October 1999, trucker resource PNV.com has been cutting truckers' isolation and long-distance phone bills. The site, produced by telecommunications firm PNV, provides truckers with email, breaking news, career information, trucking equipment maintenance advice, and classifieds. PNV.com also helps long-haul drivers log miles and plan routes and fuel stops, and even includes constant weather and traffic updates.PNV's freight-matching service, to be launched this summer, will allow independent and company truckers to find loads online, saving time which can be crucial to getting the best assignments. Transactions fees are expected to support the venture, and PNV.com's source of revenue includes advertising, truck part sales, and service fees from PNVJobs, an online job resource connecting truckers and fleet owners.
While truckers are associated with CB radio more than with the Internet, almost a quarter of truckers have laptops, and half have home computers. More than 23,000 truckers are registered with PNV.com's email and news service.
Transporters Move to Deliver on E-Commerce
The transportation industry must pick up the pace and abandon their mainframe systems in favor of the Internet, industry insiders say. According to global container supplier Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), the Internet can improve customer service, information sharing, process efficiency, supply-chain management, and demand management, while lowering operation costs and heightening global opportunity.The transportation industry has been slow to move from mainframe and electronic data interchange to online systems because of security concerns. But in order to serve customers already doing e-business,
ransportation companies are implementing systems such as XML to increase customer-vendor interoperability. Some companies are also using middleware to soften the transition, although analysts caution firms to focus on the customer rather than individual technologies.
The key to retaining customers, analysts say, is information – to make it easy for customers to access information like price quotes and pickup confirmations. "This is a customer-driven market instead of vendor-driven," OOCL director and CIO Ken Chih says. "That's the difference between the industrial revolution and the information revloution." Computerworld (07/03/00) Vol. 34, No. 27, P. 22; Rosencrance, Linda
Telecom Market Includes Truck Fleets
Aether Systems – a developer, distributor, and maintenance provider for wireless systems – is aggressively pursuing future growth opportunities in the telecom market. The company, which has a value of $7.6 billion, has been aggressively marketing new wireless products, such as the Palm-based TradeRunner.In addition, Aether has been involved in acquiring many new acquisitions, such as LocusOne for $40 million in cash. LocusOne supplies truck fleets with mobile technologies. The recent acquisitions is part of Aether's strategy to expand its wireless operations into markets not as intensely targeted by competitors.
The company has also continued to diversify its operations as indicated by the creation of its Inciscent division and a substantial investment in OmniSky. But the largest acquisition thus far has been the $1.1 billion stock purchase of mobile computing software company Riverbed Technologies, which was renamed Aether Software.
The creation of Aether software, a developer and license provider for mobile-data management software, allows the company to expand operations into a variety of areas including health care and sales force automation. In addition, the company is working on an emergency roadside assistance system for Response Service Center.
Aether has many competitors, such as 724 solutions, and some industry experts say the company's emphasis on creating PDA products could cost it greater growth opportunities in the future. Upside (07/00) Vol. 12, No. 7, P. 140; Isaacs, Nora
BT, AT&T Launch Global Mobile Service
British Telecommunications and AT&T jointly introduced a service today, called WorldConnect, which will allow users to use the same phone number and services in 100 countries. The service employs improved digital features and represents the first service offered by a joint venture agreement between BT Wireless and AT&T Wireless, according to the companies. The two companies also have plans to release WorldView, which enables firms to coordinate their international cell phone contracts. Reuters (07/11/00)Wireless Spectrum up for Grabs
Some of the most powerful telecom firms in the nation have hired some of the leading lobbyists – Haley Barbour, Tom Korologos, and Tony Podesta – to gain an advantage in the FCC's allocation of $10 billion worth of wireless spectrum licenses.The wireless spectrum covers 165 million people throughout the nation. The spectrum is coveted by telecom companies because it can be used for delivering third-generation mobile services, including high-speed Internet access.
NextWave Telecom, which was awarded the spectrum before defaulting on payments, has also begun a lobbying campaign in order to retain the spectrum. But even with new investors and large funds, the company is not expected to retain the licenses.
The loss of the licenses could impact heavily on the company, since the licenses are its most significant asset. The lobbying campaigns are geared toward persuading members of Congress to favor their particular company. AT&T, Sprint PCS, Verizon Wireless, and SBC Communications are among the competitors for the spectrum.
Nextel Communications, a wireless carrier, has been pushing hard to acquire the spectrum and had offered to purchase the airwaves for $8 billion during NextWave's bankruptcy proceedings. Washington Post (07/11/00) P. E1; Schmidt, Susan; Goodman, Peter S.
Analog Bytes the Dust, But Many Still Being Sold
Despite the advanced features offered by digital networks, analog service remains a viable technology for supplying wireless services for customers in distant regions who do not have access to digital networks.In fact, according to the market research company Strategis Group, 13 million analog handhelds were purchased in the United States during 1999. This number is a close third in total sales of handsets, behind CDMA and TDMA digital handheld purchases. But because analog cannot provide the Internet access and other advanced features of digital technology, it is expected to be phased out and replaced by the main digital networks – CDMA, GSM, and TDMA.
Each network offers its own distinctive advantages. CDMA, which was created by the U.S. military, provides a high-quality security and calling. The system's spread spectrum technology allows the network to handle more calls than other systems.
While GSM already has the advantage of having been selected as the mobile network standard in Europe, GSM is the least out of the three to be based on digital technologies. TDMA is presently the biggest
etwork currently in North America and the second largest in the world. Mobile Computing & Communications (07/00) Vol. 11, No. 7, P. 68; Flanagan, William P.
E-Hub Essentials: Big Differences in B2B Offerings
Online business-to-business (B2B) exchanges are storming the marketplace, offering to businesses a faster, easier way to deal with buyers and sellers.E-marketplaces differ widely in terms of size and model. "There's just an enormous diversity of business models, revenue models and business value that can be delivered by a marketplace," says Martin Boyd, director of B2B exchange specialist Ariba. "Each point in an industry supply chain potentially offers a different value proposition."
Several variations of online hubs have cropped up. Two important developments are auctions and reverse auctions; auctions allow buyers to place bids for a product online, while reverse auctions allow buyers to invite sellers to compete to win a contract.
Another model is catalog aggregation, in which marketplaces post online catalogs from a variety of industry suppliers, providing buyers a central point from which to choose a supplier.
In a bid to distinguish themselves from competitors, e-marketplaces are developing value-added services such as credit approval, payment and clearinghouse capabilities, logistics management, quality assurance and testing, and insurance.
With so many options available, executives often question how to choose the right partners. The best method to select a successful e-marketplace is to determine whether it has become an important part of a user's day. For instance, most traders using Altrade, a natural gas, power, and crude oil exchange run by Altra Energy Technologies, keep an Altrade screen running at all times to view price fluctuations.
"Clearly, what we're in the business of doing is replacing what has been for many years a manual process," says Altra President Paul Bourke. "We've become a part of how our customers do business." BtoB (07/03/00) Vol. 85, No. 9, P. 1; Karpinski, Richard
Wireless World Safe, for Now From Viruses, Hackers
The virus targeted at computers in Spain this past June has raised security concerns for network operators and mobile phone manufacturers throughout the world. In response, many telecom companies have announced plans to increase security efforts. AT&T's Ken Woo says the company will enhance its efforts to prevent its network and customers from experiencing similar security breaches.Ironically, the limited capabilities of current wireless phones prevent hackers from doing much damage.Presently, mobile phones don't have attachments, like PCs, that can carry malicious codes. But the upcoming version of Wireless Application Protocol will allow the creation of scripts by developers that could be then used as vehicles to spreads viruses via cell phones. And with Web-enabled phones being able to conduct financial transactions in the near future, they become a much more attractive target to hackers.
Despite advanced encryption codes developed by major telecom companies such as Sprint PCS and AT&T, the WAP gateway, which serves as a link between the user and Internet server, could provide an easier means for hackers to breach security. Because the WAP gateway must translate data using two different transcription codes, the data is open for viewing for a few milliseconds. The newer version of WAP will provide a comprehensive encryption code that makes translation unnecessary.
The greatest risk is to handheld computers, such as those manufactured by Palm, because they can download applications. Industry Standard (06/26/00) Vol. 3, No. 24, P. 124; Abreu, Elinor
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