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Truck fleets to be equipped with WiFi wireless

Qualcomm has added WiFi to the list of wireless technologies truck fleet managers can use with its FleetAdvisor software.

FleetAdvisor's support for 802.11b technology "allows companies with private fleets to leverage existing network technology and transfer large data files wirelessly when fleet vehicles are on location," says the company's press release announcing the upgrade to the program.

The key to the new feature is cost. Qualcomm is assuming that fleet managers will have their own WiFi networks in truck depots, and that data can be transferred without using fee-based wireless networks like Transcomm's. But it is also looking forward to the widespread of wireless hotspot providers - who will almost certainly all offer a lower-cost solution to wireless Internet connectivity, than either Mobitex-style packet switched radio or GSM based GPRS data networks.

"Companies using FleetAdvisor in conjunction with 802.11 technology can significantly increase efficiency, reduce costs and leverage existing wireless networks within their private fleets," is the way Norm Ellis, Qualcomm's vice president of business operations, expressed it.

The company press release goes on to say: "The fleet status exceptions monitoring function in FleetAdvisor 5.1 allows dispatchers to determine if trucks have stopped, are off-schedule or are operating outside of normal performance criteria. This information is critical to fleets in providing best-in-class customer service. FleetAdvisor 5.1 also includes expanded web-based functionality that allows dispatchers to conduct web-based dynamic re-routing, route editing, and dispatch messaging and order entry changes."

The FleetAdvisor system consists of an MVPc (a Windows CE based) in-vehicle computer, on-board software, and host-based software. It works with the OmniTRACS or OmniExpress mobile communications system.