Technology Briefs — April 4 - April 10
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The Latest Headlines:
- DHL Names New Chief Information Officer
- TransCore Adds Imaging Feature to KeyPoint
- Motorola Sells Vehicle Electronics Unit
- AirIQ Posts Quarterly, Annual Losses
- Sprint to Upgrade Network, Transmission Speeds
- Firm Develops Non-APU Day Cab Cooling System
- TransCore Adds Imaging Feature to KeyPoint
DHL Names New Chief Information Officer
DHL said Monday it named Maryann Goebel Chief Information Officer for DHL Express in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets/Latin America.Goebel was formerly CIO for General Motors North America where she was responsible for information technology activities for GM’s North American vehicle business. Previously she had served as GM’s chief global strategy officer.
DHL Americas is ranked No. 4 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers. Transport Topics
TransCore Adds Imaging Feature to KeyPoint
Transportation services firm TransCore said it added a document imaging feature to its KeyPoint software package aimed at small and midsize fleets.TransCore, Harrisburg, Pa., said the feature was developed in collaboration with PaperWise, Springfield, Mo., which produces document imaging systems.
Fleets can use the imaging service for a monthly fee.
By using a document imaging service, brokers and carriers can reduce paperwork and the time it takes get paid, TransCore said. Transport Topics
Motorola Sells Vehicle Electronics Unit
Automotive industry suppliers Continental AG and Motorola Inc. said April 3 they have entered into an agreement under which Continental will acquire Motorola’s automotive electronics business for about $1 billion.The sale includes Motorola’s controls, sensors, interior electronics and telematics businesses, the companies said.
Motorola spokeswoman Sue Frederick said Motorola’s electronics business in the commercial vehicle sector was “primarily in the powertrain and chassis controls area.” She did not have a breakout of the unit’s sales to commercial vehicle suppliers.
Motorola said its automotive electronics customers include vehicle manufacturers General Motors, Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG, BMW and engine maker Cummins Inc.
Continental said its commercial products already included truck tires, hoses and electronics. Transport Topics
AirIQ Posts Quarterly, Annual Losses
Wireless technology firm AirIQ said it posted a fourth-quarter net loss of C$5.7 million or 5 Canadian cents a share on revenue of C$10 million, compared with C$3.8 million or 3 Canadian cents a year earlier.The company, which provides Internet-based software to the trucking industry, said that while quarterly revenue was up 10.1% increase from a year earlier, it was C$300,000 below the third-quarter’s results “largely due to the strengthening Canadian-U.S. dollar exchange rate and competitive pricing of hardware units.”
For the year, AirIQ said it lost C$13.1 million or 11 Canadian cents per share. In 2004, the company lost C$11.3 million or 13 Canadian cents per share.
The company said 2005 revenue rose 83.9% to C$40 million, largely because of acquisitions. Transport Topics
Sprint to Upgrade Network, Transmission Speeds
Telecommunications provider Sprint said an expansion of its high-speed broadband wireless network will reach 220 million people by the end of 2007 and increase data transmission speeds.Sprint is one of the largest providers of wireless service to the trucking industry.
Once fully implemented, the system will allow customers to download data at speeds as high as 20 megabits per second. The current download rate is 2 megabits per second.
The new technology will also allow users of laptop computers, handheld devices and some wireless phones to download data as fast as 3.1 megabits per second, more than 50% faster than the current rate, Sprint said.
The network’s upload speed, the rate at which data is sent from a unit, will increase to 1.8 megabits per second, more than 10 times faster than the current level.
Sprint developed the system with Nortel, Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless. Sprint said the upgrades are part of a $6.3 billion capital spending plan announced earlier this year. Transport Topics
Dometic Develops Non-APU Day Cab Cooling System
Dometic Environmental Corp. said it has introduced a new auxiliary air conditioning system for day cabs that doesn’t require a separate onboard diesel auxiliary power unit.Dometic said the system, designed to reduce engine idling, includes an air-conditioning system, a DC-AC inverter, a high-capacity alternator, a thermostat control and an optional shore-power plug to connect to electrical outlets at truck stops.
Dometic, Pompano Beach, Fla., said it will offer a self-contained unit and a split-unit system. When the self-contained unit is installed in the cab, it can be located between the driver and passenger seats, or replace the passenger seat entirely.
If a carrier wants to use the split format, the compressor is inside the cab and the condensing unit is mounted underneath the carriage, the company said. The units are connected by refrigerant lines. Transport Topics
