Mobile Technology

The transportation industry will be a big benefactor of the development of mobile technology. Mobile technology can be used by transportation companies to improve flow of information, provide its customers with end-to-end visibility to the supply chain, increase driver productivity, reduce management costs, and improve quality of information. Transportation solutions include fleet information management, GPS tracking, order management, two-way messaging, etc. Thanks to modern mobile based technology, this is achievable with minimal capital spending and without a large setup cost or lengthy integration. Modern tools can work independently on multiple networks using multiple communication providers. Technology is improving quite rapidly; however, it is most effective to leverage current technology while leaving some flexibility to allow for future upgrades as technology improves.

In the office, we will soon see the integration of mobile phones, desktop computers, and laptops into one mobile tablet device. We will see more and more people working with small tablet computers running their favorite operating system with office tools such as word processors and spreadsheet applications. These devices will run on private network as well as public networks. Users will be permanently connected to their corporate networks as they travel between their offices and homes. If you feel information overload now; just wait couple more years. The good news is that convergence of technologies will improve the flow of information, and reduce duplication.


There are important considerations when choosing the right mobile technology:

Network carrier and its coverage – Many carriers are offering cellular based tracking solutions. The most important aspects of any mobile solution are network coverage and network capacity.


Hardware versus Software - Hardware based solutions are obtained through the purchase of an appliance manufactured for the purpose of tracking. The communication software and tracking components are embedded inside the appliance. On the other hand, software based solutions utilize off-the-shelf devices. The software running on the devices governs the behavior of the application. A software based solution is generally more flexible and allows for future growth.


Ongoing costs - Aside from the basic purchase price, one must pay close attention to ongoing costs associated to any mobile technology. Your assessment should include a detailed review of ongoing fees including network usage time, messaging cost, integration to Transportation Management Systems (TMS), and reporting capabilities, as well as Add-on features.


Contract length - Technology is evolving rapidly making it critical to review mobile contracts regularly. Contract terms should be in line with the assessment time frame. Short term contracts are expensive and do not give us enough time to embrace technology to reap full benefits. On the other hand if you sign a long term contract, you may lose out on the opportunity to upgrade technology as it comes, as well the liberty to renegotiate terms of the contract. As a rule of thumb, a two to three year contract is sufficient.


Security – Mobile security will be a major concern as we move into the new decade. Handheld devices with greater capacity are allowing us to carry more company information in the form of emails, documents, and applications. This will become an even greater concern when we move towards tablet computers in the work environment. With distributed networks, IT departments will have to start considering a distributed security model