Trucking Technology Report - May 16
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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:
- Ford Delays In-Vehicle Wireless Service
- Towing Site Finds Its Niche on the Web
- Study: Web Collaboration Could Yield Big Savings
- NeoModal's Failure Is Descartes' Gain
Ford Delays In-Vehicle Wireless Service
Ford Motor executives report that the automaker is postponing the installation of Wingcast technology in its vehicles from later this year to the middle of next year.Ford had planned to make the in-vehicle communications system available in 1 million of its vehicles by the end of next year. According to Wingcast CEO Harel Kodesh, the system will not be available for roughly another year.
Qualcomm is assisting Ford in the creation of wireless services, such as navigation and safety applications, for the Wingcast system. Reuters (05/16/01)
Towing Site Finds Its Niche on the Web
With a simple keyword request to his Internet search engine, Jim Kessler of Kessler's 24 Hour Towing Service only had to wait a few seconds before TowTruckNet.com informed him of where he could find the new tow truck he was seeking.Run by family owned and operated Ramp Chevrolet of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., the TowTruckNet has been a success since its debut in 1999, hosting 250,000 hits a month and sustaining a membership listing of 5,000 companies. According to general site manager Peter Korntazamans, equipment listed on TowTruckNet normally sells within 3 months and sometimes even within 30 days or less.
Truck sellers like the site because it allows them to offload older equipment quickly as they upgrade to newer trucks. The only complication comes in when users have to arrange pick up and drop offs of equipment that is marketed nationwide through the Web site; this has not proved to be an insurmountable issue for clients, however.
Other online services offered on the site include a loan determination chart, loan application system, and parts and accessories listing. Investor's Business Daily (05/16/01) P. A9; Korzeniowski, Paul
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Study: Web Collaboration Could Yield Big Savings
In a year's time, the percentage of collaboration that takes place between automakers and their suppliers via the Internet will increase from the current 15% to 70 or 80%, according to Siemens Automotive CIO Bill Macfarlane."I see a lot of momentum building up," he says. "It's very rapidly rolling out."
That manufacturers and suppliers would be interested in online collaboration solutions such as i2 Technologies' Supplier Relationship Management and Covisint's Virtual Project Workspace is not surprising, considering how the tools promise to enable faster, less expensive product development, reduce waste, stimulate innovation, and reduce the frequency of engineering changes, which will enhance overall product quality.
Of these benefits, automakers are primarily interested in slashing the time required to design a vehicle and get to market. Siemen's Macfarlane cautions that such Web-based solutions may be too expensive for many suppliers and that industry standards must be developed if the applications are going to work as intended.
However, the Original Equipment Suppliers Association predicts online collaborative product development tools and processes could save the automotive industry as much as $2 billion annually. Automotive News (05/07/01) No. 5928, P. 18; Kisiel, Ralph
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NeoModal's Failure Is Descartes' Gain
Supply chain technology firm Descartes recently expanded operations by purchasing part of the technology rights and hiring nine former executives of the failed NeoModal logistics and services dot-com.NeoModal founders and former Sea-Land executives Rich Beendenbender and Jim Watkins will join the Descartes team, as the company confirms the formation of a new division called Descartes Ocean. The new division will feature the former NeoModal shipper and carrier technological applications called Neobid and Neoyield, now renamed as Bid Manager and Yield Manager.
Other former NeoModal employees moving to Descartes include product managers and industry experts. During the company's four-year expansion mode, Descartes most notably acquired Pittsburgh-based E-Transport, an online network of ocean carriers and logistics providers, in March of last year. Journal of Commerce (05/16/01); Atkinson, Helen
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