Trucking Technology Report - Jan. 17
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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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Satellite Firm Globalstar Halts Payment on Its Debts
Globalstar, which provides satellite-based phone and data services, announced Tuesday that it had stopped payments on bank loans and other key debts to maintain cash.
The move has gotten the support of two key creditors, Loral Space and Communications and QUALCOMM (QCOM), which were supposed to receive $45 million on Monday. The two companies revealed yesterday that they would incur charges against earnings in the quarter ended Dec. 31 to offset their dealings with Globalstar.
Although the amount of the charges had not been revealed on Tuesday, the announcement indicates that Globalstar is facing difficulties with continuing operations in its existing state. Loral has made roughly $1.3 billion in direct and indirect investments in Globalstar.
Bernard Schwartz, chairman and CEO of Globalstar and Loral, said Tuesday that the moves are intended to support Globalstar and are expected to give the company time to find new financial resources. New York Times (01/17/01) P. C3; Feder, Barnaby J.
Cisco Faces Switch Shipping Delay Due to Key Component Shortages
Cisco Systems (CSCO) may need up to 12 weeks to handle orders for its Catalyst 6000 switch.The product generated roughly $5 billion in sales, according to an industry publication. Network World said delivery times for the switch have increased from three weeks to three months because of a dearth of components from major vendors, including IBM (IBM).
The switch makes up roughly one-sixth of Cisco's revenue. The postponement is not believed to have caused the company to lose any orders. Investor's Business Daily (01/17/01) P. A2
Rivals TMI, Motient to Merge
Satellite operators TMI Communications and Motient (MTNT) revealed yesterday a plan to combine their wireless businesses. The new company will be called Mobile Satellite Ventures and has already acquired $50 million in funding. However, the merger will have to get regulatory clearance.TMI offers mobile digital data, voice, fax, and radio services via its MSAT-l satellite, while Motient uses an integrated satellite and ground-based network to deliver two-way telecom and Web services. The new company will have over $1 billion in assets. Reuters (01/16/01)
Top 10 Wireless Internet Lies
The wireless industry is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure to offer more services to consumers. Salomon Smith Barney predicts that the number of wireless subscribers across the globe will increase 15.6% during the next several years before reaching 1.2 billion in 2005. In-Stat Group forecasts that 1.4 billion people will have wireless Web access by 2004. But the market may have trouble living up to expectations.Smart Business Magazine's Marty Jerome believes that, contrary to popular belief, the wireless Web will only offer some of the services and content available to users of fixed-line Internet services. In addition, content for mobile users will not be as elaborate as some observers predict, since the screens on wireless devices are only the fraction of the size of a typical monitor. He also notes that wireless bandwidth limitations will reduce the capability to provide some applications, such as video and animation.
Jerome also challenges the industry's assertion that the cost of wireless services will drastically drop. The falling revenues generated from long-distance services preclude any large reduction in wireless rates by large telcos, according to Jerome. And he asserts that wireless Web access costs will only fall a little under connection costs for mobile phone services.
Jerome says that the assumption that accessing the wireless Web will be made simple is false. Wireless device functions will take some time to master and other technologies, physical structures, and atmospheric conditions will still interfere with connections. High-speed wireless services is still a long way off, with 3G technologies not likely to be deployed in the United States until 2005. Smart Business Magazine (01/01) Vol. 14, No. 1, P. 56; Jerome, Marty
Finding Distribution Carriers on the Web
Distribution carriers are usually small and notoriously difficult to identify through the Internet because they are generally not linked directly to American Trucking Association Websites.Websites for distribution carriers may range from simple to complex in terms of design and content. For instance, Tulsa, Olka.-based, Refrigerated Delivery Service Website consists of four pages that only link back and forth to each other. The home page content includes an introduction of the company and subsequent three pages contain a request for delivery information, a list of current service locations, and a recruitment page for interested independent truck drivers.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lanter Company, based in Madison, Illinois, has a complex Website that includes a multitude of titled links within links, providing information including service type, job opportunities, industry case studies, current news releases, and a company profile. Refrigerated Transporter (12/00) Vol. 38, No. 7, P. 73; Macklin, Gary
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