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EDITOR'S BLOG |
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Driven to distraction From Hanging Up column issue 52 – Oct-Nov 2011 by Sharon Clancy Are you suffering from digital distraction? According to the latest report from software security company Clearswift, 70 per cent of staff find that email and social networking are distractions in the workplace. Platform integration specialist Harmon.ie says people waste at least an hour a day dealing with constant interruptions – wilting under a deluge of email alerts, text messages, tweets and phone calls. Many people find they only get the chance to work for fifteen minutes at a stretch without interruptions, says the company, and they need up to twenty minutes to regain focus and get back to the work in hand. Nor are things much better once employees get into their vehicles. Once the cockpit was a haven of tranquillity where the driver could focus fully on the road ahead, but now this, too, has become just another node in our ever-more connected universe. Read whole of above item Email us about this item Platform for change From Opinion column issue 52 – Oct-Nov 2011 The telematics and mobile data scene has always been dynamic. As soon as you think a technology plateau has been reached and a period of consolidation seems likely, along comes a new development or trend that is game-changing in terms of integration, hardware, functionality or some other aspect of mobility. At m.logistics, we think we’ve reached one of those moments now. Everyone's talking about mobility platforms and mobile intelligence in the same way that they talk about business intelligence. Software providers, mobility management companies and integration specialists are transforming themselves into Web-based platforms for all sorts of mobile services, or are linking up with partners. What’s the difference between mobility platforms and the Web-based services that have proliferated in the past few years? In one sense, mobility platforms are the new middleware: a central point running applications, managing hardware and communications. Read whole of above item Email us about this item ‘Follow us if you like – but we can’t guarantee you’ll to get much out of it’ From Hanging Up column issue 51 – June-July 2011 by Tabula Here at m.logistics, we are increasingly being invited by suppliers to "Follow us on Twitter" or "Follow us on Facebook". A veritable stampede seems to be under way as businesses seek to establish a presence on social networking Web sites. We’re not sure if this simply a passing trend or a more profound development – a modern route to engage with customers. We suspect it’s probably the latter –something profound; but we’re not so sure if precise shape if that something is entirely clear yet. If your business involves interacting with consumers, there seems little doubt that social networking can deliver useful feedback for those important "consumer experiences" that the marketing people love to focus on. Read whole of above item Email us about this item Consolidation – same difference? From Opinion column issue 51 – June-July 2011 A theme of consolidation runs through the lates printed issue of m.logistics. In the telematics market, a major new international supplier has been created through the merger of the Cybit and Masternaut networks, while in the world of handheld computing, Honeywell is maintaining its surge to prominence by acquiring long-established LXE. In most markets, consolidation might be expected to result in a firming-up of prices, and possibly even a reduction in choice. However, in the markets we’re looking at here, neither of these things seems likely, at least in the near future. Read whole of above item Email us about this item What drivers should and shouldn’t do From Opinion column issue 50 – Mar-April 2010 Should drivers be allowed to do anything else whatsoever at the same time as driving? You would probably assume there aren’t many things you can do when you’re at the wheel, apart from actually drive. But think about it: you can talk to someone in the passenger seat, talk on a hands-free mobile phone, eat a bar of chocolate, monitor your speed, check the engine oil pressure and water temperature, switch the radio on or off or change stations, glance at your satnav screen, and listen to satnav driving instructions. All this is perfectly legal, and in fact some of it could be considered essential to safe driving – especially keeping within the speed limit and monitoring your engine status to make sure the vehicle is in a fit state to drive. Read whole of above item Email us about this item Telematics can play a major role in van safety compliance
Operations people tend not to worry overmuch about the vehicles used in transport and logistics, so long as they are available when required. Vans, trucks and trailers are simply tools to enable the job to be done. Keeping those vehicles roadworthy is usually the role of the transport or fleet manager or engineer. After all, they’re the ones with the technical knowledge to judge whether a driver-reported vehicle defect is minor, or represents a safety hazard that warrants taking the vehicle out of service. However, key differences in the regulatory regime for vans compared with trucks and trailers means there is increasing concern about the roadworthiness of many vans on the road – especially those deployed in intensively-worked high-mileage operations such as those in the food home delivery sector. Read whole of above item Email us about this item
Branding - and why you should recognise an asset when you have it What matters more to you – your sales or your corporate image? You might think it’s a no-brainer, but we sometimes wonder. The past couple of years have seen been a steady consolidation in the telematics, tracking and field service markets, and in related business sectors, too. Many companies have merged or taken over rivals. It’s part of the natural ebb and flow of business, accelerated recently by the recession. What baffles us here at m.logistics is just how quickly well-known company identities seem to be abandoned by new owners, or at the very least submerged into the larger corporate leviathan. When the old name was a rival to that of the new owner, it’s perhaps understandable, but when the new owner never had a presence in the sector of the acquired company before, and is continuing to run it under its old name, you have to wonder at the logic. Back to back with our latest printed issue, and now available online at www.telematicsguide.com, you will have found our annual Telematics & Mobile Data guide, and in the process of checking some of the entries, we’ve examined numerous web sites. Repeatedly, we’ve had difficulty finding familiar names, buried in the sometimes sprawling web sites of their new parents. |