Field Service IT News For VARs
By Amy Taylor, contributing writer
A virtual summit on the field service industry is slated for Thursday. Also in the news this week, experts offer tips for mobile device selection, construction leads adoption of GPS tracking technology, and freight volumes are climbing — after a decrease during the harsh winter.
Virtual Summit On State Of The Industry Planned
The virtual summit Transforming Service Delivery: A Global Perspective will begin at 9 a.m. PDT on Thursday, April 3, 2014. The summit will cover topics such as change management, emerging technologies, mobile resources, issue resolution, performance excellence, and future trends. To register for the summit, or to obtain a recording of the event, go to https://cc.readytalk.com/r/u1x4kn63q1ld&eom.
Tips Offered For Mobile Device Selection
In a Field Technologies Online article, industry experts discuss selecting the right mobile device. Things to discuss with your customers include software and operating system, speed of the processor, and encryption, authentication, and endpoint compliance, as well as vendor support. The article also looks at new advancements on the horizon, like the integration of Gobi/4G LTE multicarrier technology.
Construction Steadily Embraces GPS Fleet Tracking Technology Ahead Of Other Industries
Construction Executive reports that construction is a leading industry in adopting GPS fleet tracking technology. Of the six industries surveyed — delivery, construction, government, utilities, service and manufacturing — construction was only surpassed by delivery, while manufacturing ranked lowest in adoption rates. Overall, the larger the fleet size, the more likely the company was to adopt the technology.
Economy, Freight Volumes Climbing After Harsh Winter
Sean Kilcarr and David Cullen report in Fleet Owner that the “U.S. economy, [and] freight volumes offer some optimistic signs.” The American Trucking Associations (ATA) reports a 2.8 percent for-hire truck tonnage index increase in February, and year-to-date volume is 2.3 percent more than 2013.
Field Service IT Talking Points
Business2Community offers insight on “How to Use Mobile Marketing to Benefit your Small Business,” demonstrating the essentiality of mobile-friendly platforms.
Fleet Owner said that truck driver demographics remain largely male dominated with stable driver “satisfaction” levels despite adverse economic changes and regardless of seasonal weather-related driving conditions. Looking ahead, stronger economic growth and increased growth for the trucking industry is expected, which will place more pressure on the driver market and shortage. This also places importance on keeping equipment up to date to ensure satisfaction levels remain stable.