Trucking Technology Report - June 8
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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:
- Shippers Bet on Transportation Exchanges
- Freemarkets Scraps Adexa Deal
- AMR Touts E-Business Supply Chain Concept
- AT&T Drops Commitment to Cable Box
- Setback for SBC's Long-Distance Plans
Shippers Bet on Transportation Exchanges
Large shippers are increasingly investing in transportation exchanges to reduce the costs of the supply chain.Speaking at the Logicon 2001 logistics and supply chain management conference in San Francisco, Earthgrains Co. vice president Martha Uhlhorn noted "these marketplaces have the potential to transform the demand chain." Earthgrains is an investor and participant in Transora, a leading transportation exchange.
Shippers can help carriers reduce their costs by collaborating in a network of companies, thus, for example, producing more two-way hauls for motor carriers. Journal of Commerce Online (06/07/01); Mongelluzzo, Bill
Economic conditions and delays in regulatory approval were cited as reasons for scrubbing the deal.
AMR analysts say the supply chain planning and procurement software markets will still converge at some point. Journal of Commerce Online (06/07/01)
The concept, which AMR calls enterprise commerce management (ECM), would provide an open infrastructure for product design and procurement by combining enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems with private exchanges and Internet technology, and AMR Research focused its spring executive conference around the concept.
AMR analyst John Bermudez said ECM-based strategies focus more on collaboration via the Internet, and provide more options, than traditional ERP applications. But following AMR's concept of integrating all legacy systems can result in substantial upgrade costs and become a lengthy process for enterprises. Computerworld (05/28/01) Vol. 35, No. 22, P. 10; Songini, Marc L.
For the last 10 years, computer and media insiders have promoted the idea that real interactive TV would be introduced that would enable viewers to become involved in numerous activities, including Web surfing, shopping, and banking.
Roughly 240,000 of the advanced set-top boxes, dubbed DCT-5000, have been in storage for a year and a half as Microsoft continued developing the software, which is designed to integrate television and several features of the Internet. But a number of AT&T executives said yesterday that the company opted for another strategy; instead, it will concentrate on providing video, voice, broadband Internet, and other services on a variety of devices, including set-top cable boxes and PCs.
AT&T's decision is disappointing to Microsoft, which made a $5 billion investment in AT&T two years ago and has had trouble proving the worthiness of its interactive TV strategy. New York Times (06/08/01) P. C1; Markoff, John
The carrier said it intends to submit a new application after it provides new data and answers to concerns of regulators and competitors. The FCC must decide whether SBC's competitors have open access to its local networks in Missouri and if the company charges reasonable rates for that access.
While state regulators supported SBC's application, the Justice Department and competing local carriers cautioned that the prices SBC charges for access might be exorbitant. New York Times (06/08/01) P. C2
Freemarkets Scraps Adexa Deal
AMR Research reports that online auction host FreeMarkets Inc. has canceled plans to purchase supply chain planning vendor Adexa.AMR Touts E-Business Supply Chain Concept
AMR Research has unveiled its concept of how next-generation Internet-based supply chains will work.AT&T Drops Commitment to Cable Box
In a move that indicates advanced interactive TV will not be introduced in the United States for some time, AT&T's broadband unit abandoned its plan to use an advanced set-top cable box that was intended to display Microsoft's interactive TV software.Setback for SBC's Long-Distance Plans
SBC Communications abandoned its application to become a long-distance service provider in Missouri as it faced scrutiny about its prices and support systems.
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