Trucking Technology Report - May 7
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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:
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New Traffic Report Technology Looms
Wireless phones, pagers, and in-vehicle navigation systems are among the new breed of technologies expected to offer personalized live traffic reports in the future. Startups, such as TrafficStation and Traffic.com, have developed systems they believe surpass existing traffic report technology.TrafficStation transmits live traffic reports, interactive maps, and specially designed alerts to wireless and telematics companies, while Traffic.com sends Internet traffic feeds to 55 radio stations throughout the United States.
Currently, Metro Networks and Shadow Broadcast services dominate the U.S. traffic report market, with radio broadcasts reaching over 100 million people in 90 cities. But in the future, in-vehicle navigation systems, also called telematics, will provide personalized traffic reports to over one-fourth of American drivers, or 58 million people, by 2007, according to investment banker Dain Rausher Wessels. Industry Standard (04/30/01); Mechanic, Michael
Petro Vantage Seeks Software Tests
PetroVantage , a new subsidiary of Aspen Technology, has asked a number of companies to test its collaborative software for the petroleum industry.According to Chuck Moore, president of PetroVantage, the software, called the Foundation Client Program, has three parts: deal negotiation capabilities; decision optimization tools, and a collaborative workflow environment, which includes not only collaboration but also shipment alerts and tracking.
Moore adds that 12 companies are pilot testing the software, of which 10 are from segments of the petroleum industry AspenTech has not sold to before, such as survey and inspection companies, trading houses, terminal operators, and shipbrokers.
One of the companies pilot testing the software is Williams Energy Partners, which will use the Foundation Client Program at its major terminal complex in Galena Park, Texas. In particular, the software will be used to connect Williams' distribution and storage terminals to potential users, thereby improving customer service.
Another company that will be testing the software is Premcor, a U.S.-based marketer and refiner of petroleum products. A PetroVantage spokesman said Premcor plans to use the software to optimize trades on its feedstocks, taking into account the desired combination of end products, refinery capabilities, and any associated logistics costs. Traffic World (05/07/01) P. 42; Hickey, Kathleen
Carriers, Shippers Meet on CargoFinder
For filling partial shipments or shipping assistance period, the Internet now has a new site called CargoFinder, the brainchild of CargoFinder BV, The Netherlands.Central to CargoFinder's operation is the company's network of major industry contacts throughout the world that enables the Web site to operate as a central information hub.
Both load information and offers to ship can be found posted on the site. It does not charge usage commissions, and does not operate as a middleman, but provides member users the ability to deal directly with each other.
CargoFinder officials say their ultimate goal is to create solutions for world shipping problems. Hydrocarbon Processing (04/01) Vol. 80, No. 4, P. 23; Crowley, Bill
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