Trucking Technology Report - July 7
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IBM And Mincom Form Transport Tech Alliance
IBM is teaming up with Australian software provider Mincom in an initiative to strengthen its IBM Global Transportation Industry group.The alliance, IBM's first in the transport technology field, calls for IBM to contribute to Mincom's Denver-based Transportation Competency Center, as well as to develop a services delivery practice for Mincom's Ellipse Enterprise Asset Management software. In return, Mincom will add support for IBM platforms and implement the IBM Application Framework for e-business.
Mincom's software is designed to help midsize and large transportation companies track and deploy assets ranging from machine parts to technicians, as well as maintain, repair, and operate plant equipment. Journal of Commerce (07/05/00)
3G Phones Should Spawn Growth In Mobile Phone Market
The telecom industry hopes the introduction of third-generation (3G) wireless networks will generate phenomenal market growth similar to NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service, which provides wireless Internet access to roughly 7 million users. Although 3G phones are not expected to be introduced into the United States until 2002, the Yankee Group projects that U.S. mobile users will increase from a current figure of 1.3 million to over 60 million.But some skeptics, such as Mike McGuire of Dataquest, claim that the wireless industry exaggerates the type of services that will be available to 3G users. In fact, McGuire says that browsing Web pages using 3G technology will be cumbersome. McGuire also says the bandwidths that will be provided to customers will be comparable to a current modem connection – 56 Kbps – rather than more optimistic projections of extensive bandwidth. But AT&T says that it will provide 384 Kbps downlink access with the implementation of its forth-generation technology.
Additionally, the firm plans to have its 3G network fully operational nationwide by 2002. Forth-generation technology will be principally based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology, which can transmit data over hundreds of channels, unlike 3G-based networks that are restricted to one channel. Fortunately for consumers, the introduction of 4G technologies will not require the purchase of new mobile phones. ZDNet News (07/07/00); Shim, Richard
Opera Browser Moves into Wireless Market
Opera Software has introduced its Opera 3.62 for the EPOC, which is the industry standard for next-generation mobile technologies and computing products. EPOC was created by a joint venture called Symbian, including Psion, Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola, and Matsushita. EPOC can perform as an operating system and application framework to enhance wireless devices, such as smart phones.The Opera 3.62's features include Web browser functionality, a zooming key that can be used at a different levels, and 128-bit encryption. MacCentral (07/07/00); Sellers, Dennis
S. Korea Might Squeeze out QUALCOMM
QUALCOMM may experience further troubles in the South Korean market after the government offers third-generation wireless phone licenses. SK Telecom and Korea FreeTel, the top two wireless operators in South Korea, announced Friday they intend to use QUALCOMM rivals' W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) technology for the new wireless networks if they win the government's licenses.NTT DoCoMo of Japan, Ericsson, and Nokia are among those that developed W-CDMA technology. QUALCOMM has introduced its CDMA2000 technology, an improved version of its current CDMA technology.
The Korean operators' plans to switch their services to W-CDMA could cause QUALCOMM to lose 26 million of Korea's wireless customers who currently use its CDMA technology. CBS MarketWatch (07/07/00); Ando, Mariko
The Real Next-Gen VoDSL
The widespread availability of DSL services has prompted service providers to begin concentrating on the addition of VoDSL to increase revenues. Data access network providers are becoming increasingly preoccupied with differentiation as they face competition from cable modem service providers. Carriers can use integrated voice and data DSL services to provide multiple voice connections and Internet access via a high-speed copper connection.Some industry observers even believe DSL-only local loops could emerge in the near future. Stratecast Partners believe such a network would enable household members to receive calls aimed solely at them while accessing the Internet over a single link. Integrated voice and data services are especially popular for price-weary customers, since it is cheaper to provide multiple services over a single circuit. Such customers previously had to purchase several phone lines for voice and additional dial-up connections for Internet or remote access.
However, incorporating voice services into a DSL offering can be difficult because voice signaling must be routed between the access equipment and the voice gateway over the DSL loop and DSL access multiplexers. In addition, placing voice on top of data forces carriers to install several new types of equipment and make substantial investments in circuit-switched technology.
But an ATM-based strategy allows carriers to take advantage of existing technologies; if a carrier selects a non-ATM protocol, interoperability hurdles may develop, considering that existing VoDSL solutions consist of equipment from different vendors. ATM also enables bandwidth in the local loop to be managed for toll-quality voice. Besides interoperability and bandwidth management, the employment of ATM as a DSL transport offers the benefit of economy. Telecommunications (06/00) Vol. 34, No. 6, P. 69; Lee, Seng-Poh
Exchanges Bring Efficiency to Food Industry
Despite initial resistance from tradition-minded suppliers, the food industry is building online marketplaces to streamline business-to-business transactions. The high level of fragmentation in the industry both makes a case for Web-enabling the supply chain and makes the process more difficult. Food manufacturers often buy each ingredient from separate suppliers, and each individual purchase is valued separately.For instance,the value of a case of tomatoes is determined by such variables as the size of the tomatoes, the color, and how they are grown. Although this individualized data is often difficult to enter
nto supply chain systems, U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray analyst Allan Hickock says that this fragmentation indicates a strong need for an online, centralized location where a buyer could have constant access to fluctuating data such as product prices.
Although many food distributors and suppliers first avoided the Internet out of fear that centralized marketplaces would destroy their long-term partnerships, gradual steps are now being made to Web-enable the industry, and some firms are already beginning to see results.
Linda Espino, manufacturing procurement manager at San Antonio-based food manufacturer and distributor H-E-B Grocery Company, developed an online market. Using the system, Espino can communicate with more than 300 vendors in H-E-B's supply chain, allowing better tracking of orders and invoices. "The online marketplace has made communicating with vendors a more pleasant experience," says Espino. InfoWorld (06/26/00) Vol. 22, No. 26, P. 37; Spence, John
Envisioning Superior B2B & Supply Chain Performance
Internet technologies combined with a new customer-centric view of supply chains are allowing consumer goods companies to further reduce costs, increase efficiencies and service levels, and develop degrees of flexibility unheard of in the recent past. In the future, consumer goods companies will focus on developing demand-forecasting technologies because even the best of supply chains are only as good as the information supplied to them."What the Internet is about is allowing you to integrate with both your suppliers and customers," says Steve Geary, chief analyst with PRTM's Performance Measurement Group.
The Internet allows a degree of integration between businesses and their customers and partners not possible before, even with the EDI systems of the recent past. The speed and flexibility of the Internet enables consumer goods companies to place their customers at the center of their supply chains, with retail services radiating around the customers, and manufacturer services circling the retail operations.
In addition to placing customer demand at the forefront of every player's attention, the actual communications network – the enabler – becomes critical as well, boosting everyone's performance, says Tom Redd, vice president of global marketing for Retek. Consumer Goods Technology – Supplement (06/00) Vol. 9, No. 5, P. 6
Nortel Phones Get Down to Business
Nortel is altering its corporate phone systems to boost its position in the business VoIP market. The company decided not to introduce Version 2.0 of its Enterprise Edge line of IP phone systems; as an alternative, Nortel restructured the product line as the Business Series Portfolio. The offering provides every tool necessary for a business to link with the LAN and the wide-area network, according to vice president of marketing for Small Business Solutions, Nick Pegley.As part of the Business Series Portfolio, Nortel offers its Business Communications Manager, which serves as the primary hardware component of the systems, and the Business Policy Switch control module, which surveys and upholds quality of service and offers management features.
The Business Series Portfolio allows businesses to make a gradual migration into VoIP by enabling them to use existing circuit-switched Norstar phones from Nortel, Pegley said. Because the system allows the use of the Norstar phones and line cards, users can retain as much as 70% of their investments in circuit-switched telephony, according to Pegley.
The Business Communications Manager is currently available, while the Business Policy Switch will be introduced in August, according to officials. EWeek (06/19/00) Vol. 17, No. 25, P. 53; Rendleman, John
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