Foto: Archivo/EL UNIVERSAL

ast Friday night, Maricarmen Cortés, a well-known financial broadcaster with Radio Formula and TeleFórmula in Mexico City, demanded Mexican Federal District authorities increase security after her car was stolen while being driven by her chauffeur, citing increasing thefts in the area. Ms. Cortés commented later on air (in her Financial Formula program), “Thank God neither I nor my daughter was in the car when it was stolen”.

Fortunately, her car was quickly recovered owing to the fact that it was insured through GNP (Grupo Nacional Provincial), a major insurer in Mexico with more than 1.3 million policy holders. GNP, under their Angel Naranja program (Orange Angel), can equip policy holders’ vehicles with location-based services from Webtech Wireless that allow the vehicle to be located in an instant by satellite if stolen. The service also enables the insurer to immobilize the vehicle remotely, so that law enforcement can retrieve it, and hopefully, those who stole it.

Webtech Wireless’ Quadrant helps reduce theft, and aids in the recovery of stolen vehicles. In Mexico City, where automobile theft rates exceed 30%, GNP previously faced huge payouts due to rising vehicle theft, and urgently needed a solution.

“Over the last 10 years, vehicle theft has increased 67%. In 2000, 47,213 vehicles were stolen and by the end of 2010 this number reached 78,876 vehicles. Of those [stolen], only 29,077 vehicles were recovered—37%.”
– eleconomista.com.mx

Webtech Wireless worked with GNP and Prolog (Webtech Wireless’ Mexican distributor and local call center service provider), to introduce the Angel Naranja theft reduction program into the Mexican insurance market. Working with Webtech Wireless’ Professional Solutions Group, GNP started with 5,000 Locators installed in policy holders’ personal cars and fleet vehicles. After a successful launch, the solution grew to over 14,000 vehicles equipped with the insurance company’s branded solution, powered by Webtech Wireless.

The new identity organizes and rationalizes the Company’s brands under a single corporate (umbrella) brand, with its three distinct product brands. Each is based on a common visual platform of icons, typefaces and colours, effectively creating a unified brand family.

“The idea of rebranding Webtech Wireless was first raised following the acquisition of Grey Island and its InterFleet® and NextBus® brands. It was clear that we were transitioning from a single solution company (Quadrant®) to one that could offer a comprehensive set of tightly integrated business solutions to an ever increasing variety of customers,” said Scott Edmonds, Webtech Wireless’ President and Chief Executive Officer. Adding, “The new brand identity is a logical step that communicates, to all stakeholders, that we continue to provide very specialized products and services, and that these are strengthened even more as an integral part of the new Webtech Wireless brand family.”

Introduction of new brand identity brings together the Company’s three product brands under one corporate umbrella brand

The new Webtech Wireless logo icon, a “W” constructed of three stylized arrows, will be used for the Corporate, InterFleet and Quadrant brands. Its design subtly conveys both corporate and product brand attributes: precise, efficient, direct, purposeful, fast and focused. The NextBus brand, a leading brand in the transit sector with a significant end-user audience, will sport its own icon—an “N” constructed of two stylized arrows in motion – that additionally conveys a dynamic, friendly brand personality to resonate with transit authorities and transit users. Both icons were designed to work well in web and mobile applications, where their use has superseded more traditional communications mediums.

With the launch, the Company will also reinvigorate its “Telematics for the Planet®” tag line, by applying it to all of its activities. Telematics for the Planet represents a multifaceted commitment to develop cost effective, location-based technologies that benefit our environment by reducing vehicle use and resultant CO2 and pollutant generation, as well as making reference to the Company’s global presence.

The new branding platform also sees the introduction of terminology that groups the Company’s various products into subgroups—MANAGER, LOCATOR, IN-CAB, etc.—thereby presenting a more cohesive and comprehensive solution to the marketplace. The platform also has the flexibility to incorporate additional brands in the future.

Webtech Wireless’ new identity not only encompasses the values of the Webtech Wireless brand and its products, but will also help it stand out against its competitors in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

HELCO truck

In addition to the Hawaii Electric Light Company’s (HELCO) success with reducing fuel consumption, using Webtech Wireless’ Quadrant location-based services (LBS) and telematics solutions (see previous Blog post), HELCO has also found Quadrant to be a necessary tool in times of crisis.

With its own home-grown volcanoes, the Hawaiian Islands are no strangers to nature’s fury. At the center of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii must also be prepared for dangers from its far-flung Ring of Fire neighbors—in the form of tsunamis.

Tsunami from Chile

The effectiveness of the Quadrant system in emergency situations was tested in February 2010 after the devastating 8.8 Mw earthquake in Chile, which put all of the Hawaiian Islands on tsunami alert. HELCO’s emergency plan was kicked into high gear, which meant immediately locating all of the company’s mobile resources and redistributing them to key points on the Island and HELCO installations, away from areas that could be vulnerable in a tsunami event. “It made such a difference to have that information available in real-time and on my computer so that I could easily direct our staff, and if needed, share that information with other emergency organizations,” said Kelvin Kohatsu, HELCO’s Fleet Administrator.

Fortunately, Hawaii was unaffected by the quake, but it was a good test of HELCO’s preparedness and the Quadrant system.

Quadrant GPS satellite image showing HELCO truck locations on the Big Island of Hawaii

Tsunami from Japan

On March 11, 2011, the tragic 9.1 Mw Sendai earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan, again demonstrated Quadrant’s usefulness in times of crises. As Pacific Rim nations raced to secure their coastlines before the tsunami hit, Kelvin was able to use Quadrant GPS to allocate trucks and drivers, and to prepare to assist with evacuations and clean up on the Big Island.

With a tsunami bearing down on the Hawaiian Islands, Kelvin rushed to HELCO’s headquarters to check that fuel acquisition, standby contractors, dispatch, and equipment were available and ready. In addition, he hurried to ensure HELCO trucks located in the tsunami inundation zone were relocated to higher ground.

As Transportation & Maintenance Unit Leader for the Logistics Team at HELCO, he credited Webtech Wireless’ Quadrant solution (particularly Dispatch Management) as crucial in supplying needed vehicles to support Operations. “GPS remote vehicle management technology is invaluable in these situations,” he claimed, adding that “having a comprehensive GSP system allows us to instantly locate units and plan for dispatch of those resources. Other organizations would use two-way communications, if they’re operational.”

During tsunami alerts, the Hilo International Airport runway becomes a main evacuation route

This first operational period lasted until the tsunami warning was lifted, which came the following day. After the emergency period passed, HELCO transitioned to the recovery period, where it supported Operations in clearing and cleaning up debris and damage from the tsunami, which fortunately was minimal.

Quadrant has also been of use in more minor situations such as when a localized oil spill affected Hilo Harbor and HELCO vehicles and personnel were involved in containment and cleanup efforts.

Within the first two years of deploying the Quadrant solution (2008-2009), HELCO realized a fuel savings of over 22,000 gallons (US). In 2010, HELCO saved an additional 18,000 gallons. Kelvin Kohatsu, HELCO Fleet Administrator, credits the impressive reduction and subsequent cost savings for their decision to renew the contract and attributes lower fuel costs to a combination of “GPS technology, driver training (operator knowledge), more fuel efficient vehicles, and improved dispatch management.”

HELCO, a subsidiary of HECO currently has Quadrant Locators in approximately 220 of its 240 vehicles and as part of the renewed service contract, will implement Job Management, using Garmin® in-vehicle navigation devices, which integrate fully with the Quadrant system. With the ability to enhance communication with drivers even more, it is expected that HELCO can expect even more dramatic savings over the next two years.

The following excerpt comes from Hino Trucks’ new release of 31 March, 2011:

The MTS Team

Quadrant customer, MTS Sales & Service, has reported “a tangible reduction in the cost of fleet management costs of 69%.” This figure is based on the difference in the cost of their old fleet management solution and savings in vehicle usage using Webtech Wireless’ Quadrant. Gino Venditti, VP of Operations, says that in addition to the superior quality of service and reliability (at the above-mentioned reduction in cost), it is now possible to manage routes, forecast fuel usage, and monitor assets with real-time notifications of unauthorized vehicle use.

He added, “Having used other GPS-based solutions we knew of the positive ROI that this type of technology created, however other providers were unable to provide the quality of service and up-time that we found with Webtech Wireless”.

In addition to tangible cost reductions, they have also seen improvements in another, often less tangible way a company can make great gains: customer service. “We have improved customer satisfaction through the use of GPS based dispatching and resolved conflicts with customers revolving around service times using the GPS technology”, says Mr. Venditti.

MTS Sales & Service installs commercial kitchen equipment, such as dish machines, beverage equipment, and all other types of hot and cold commercial kitchen equipment.  They also provide on-site repair and preventative maintenance services to their clients in western Pennsylvania.

Aurora activity is brighter and more vigorous during solar storms

Leading scientists’ warnings that a massive solar storm, which could adversely affect satellite communications worldwide, has had no affect on Iridium satellites.

In an email to partners, Iridium CEO, Matt Desch, said “Low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite systems, such as ours, are actually less susceptible to solar storms than geosynchronous (GEO) satellite systems. Solar storms generate an increase of radiation that can cause issues for satellites and even some electrical systems on Earth.  However, due to our satellites’ robust design, along with our system fault detection and mitigation processes, we have little concern over these kinds of storms. This is because of the altitude at which our satellites fly as well our continued investment in our network.”

WebTech Wireless VP of Quadrant sales, Harald Fritz, said, “We chose Iridium as that critical link when regular cellular coverage is unavailable. Iridium provides the global network coverage as well as best-in-class coverage in northern regions where we service energy, resource, and government customers”. He added that this is important to WebTech Wireless clients, because “customers usually choose this dual mode hybrid solution in mission-critical or worker-safety related applications. This means their staff must always have coverage and be in constant connectivity.”

On February 15, 2011, scientists observed solar flares emitting billions of tons of charged particles that could trigger a $2 trillion global Katrina to communications satellites, electric power grids and GPS navigation systems. It was the largest solar storm in four years. Solar particles interact with Earth’s magnetosphere.

So we were thrilled today to see that Directions Magazine, the first and largest regularly published online magazine covering geospatial technology, chose our NextBus® real-time passenger information services (RTPIS) mobile app as one of the ten best events, ideas, themes, products, etc. of 2010. They, as well as the many, many thousands of NextBus users across North America, are clearly impressed with the power NextBus has to change the way people interact with transit and go about their daily lives. 

Directions Magazine’s Top Ten isn’t ranked, but we’re very pleased to see NextBus mentioned first. We’ve reproduced that item below, and you can see all ten by going to the story on Directions Magazine.

1. The Geospatial App that Changed My Life
I looked over the New York Times’ “ten must have Android apps list” the other day. I was not impressed. It included things like: Google Shopper, Google Sky Map, Soundhound… toys! Honestly, if the best we can do in the huge world of mobile is offer apps that turn your phone into a wireless trackpad/mouse, mobile hasn’t made it quite yet in my book. The real apps which I believe can be useful for work numbered two: Evernote and QuickOffice.
 
But then there’s NextBus. Not one, but two different people in my life have told me with a totally straight face that this website, about which I had told them, has “changed their lives.” I don’t mean to push NextBus over the other apps that serve up real-time bus info for those of us in the Hub of the Universe, Boston; it’s just the one my friends and I use. I want to identify it as representative of that group of apps. Here in Boston we got most of our buses feeding out real-time data in late summer, and the whole line was covered by September. Then, the bus takers of Boston, the good friends of Charlie (who graces our Charlie Cards), all began to smile as app developers put those data into useable form. Now that it’s 17 degrees outside, we smile more as we walk determinedly from the library or work or the bar just in time to catch the bus. Life is good.

For the fifth year in a row, WebTech Wireless has made Deloitte’s Fast 500, a ranking of North America’s fastest growing technology companies.

Deloitte’s 2010 North American Technology Fast 500:

WebTech Wireless – #466  website

Bus stop digital informational signs displaying predicted bus arrival times are dotted throughout the area, and users can also obtain arrival information from the www.nextbus.com and downtownny.interfleet.com websites, allowing them to move about one of the most congested parts of New York more efficiently and enjoyably.

NextBus is also being used by two other local New York City agencies: The New York Water Taxi’s East River Commuter, and the Roosevelt Island Red Bus Service.

The following article appeared in New York’s Downtown Alliance online news on Sep 23rd, 2010, and provides a great overview of the many benefits NextBus is providing Downtown Connection users.

Riders of the Downtown Connection—the Alliance for Downtown New York’s free bus service in Lower Manhattan—will now know exactly when the next bus will arrive. The Business Improvement District has installed seven LED signs, which list the next two arrivals, along the 37-stop route.

The NextBus program uses Global Positioning System tracking satellites to provide accurate vehicle arrival/departure information and real-time data to passengers waiting at selected Downtown Connection stops.

Funding for the program was secured by New York State Senator Daniel Squadron and established in coordination with the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT). Thanks to a grant from Goldman Sachs, two additional signs will be installed in Battery Park City in the coming months.

“Lower Manhattan is the center of a vast, multi-modal regional transit network. Our Downtown Connection extends that reach, making it easier for Lower Manhattan’s 300,000 workers, 55,000 residents and six millions annual visitors to get around,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, President of the Downtown Alliance. “Starting today, GPS technology meets service in Lower Manhattan. Thanks to Senator Squadron and Goldman Sachs, our nearly 900,000 annual riders will know, with certainty, when the next bus is coming.”

“NextBus signs will make a great service—free buses for the Lower Manhattan community—even better,” Senator Squadron said. “Now, bus riders can spend less time waiting for a bus, and more time enjoying the shops, restaurants, cultural institutions and more in this wonderful neighborhood. I am pleased to have supported this program, and I thank the Downtown Alliance and the DOT for their work in making it happen.”

“The Downtown Connection is a valuable free transportation alternative for the residents and employees of the Battery Park City area,” said Battery Park City Authority Chairman William C. Thompson, Jr. “I want to thank Senator Squadron, the DOT and the Downtown Alliance for improving upon this very popular service by installing these NextBus signs so riders can have up-to-the-minute information about arrival times. It is this type of planning and initiative that has helped turn Lower Manhattan into a vibrant, successful community.”

“NextBus uses the latest technology to provide riders with the convenience they need in their busy lives, and will allow residents, workers and tourists alike to spend more time in the shops, restaurants and parks that make Lower Manhattan one of the best places to live, work and visit,” said Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin.

“As a long-standing member of the Lower Manhattan community, Goldman Sachs is pleased to support the Downtown Alliance and its efforts to provide great services to our neighborhood,” said Timur Galen, a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and also board member of the Downtown Alliance.

The Downtown Alliance piloted the service two years ago at two of the Downtown Connection’s 37 stops in Lower Manhattan. Thanks to funding secured by Senator Squadron, the Alliance has posted new LED signs at five new spots, bringing the total number of signs to seven. An eighth is awaiting the removal of scaffolding from a stop. The signs are on Water, Warren, Washington, Greenwich and Pine streets, and at 4 New York Plaza.

A grant from Goldman Sachs will technically equip two additional stops in Battery Park City. Those signs will be installed in the coming months on Vesey Street.

The Downtown Alliance launched the Downtown Connection in late 2003, instantly improving Lower Manhattan’s quality of life and accessibility. The buses shuttled more than 834,000 workers, residents and visitors in 2009, and the Downtown Alliance expects ridership to increase this year. The shuttle buses run at 10-minute intervals from 10 AM to 8 PM daily, with more limited service on weekends.

Last year, the ADA-accessible service was expanded to offer direct access to the World Financial Center and Battery Park City, the 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, A, C, E, R, J and Z subway lines and retailers on Warren and Murray streets.

In addition to broadcasting messages about arrival times, the NextBus signs also can be used to transmit emergency public service messages. You can learn more about NextBus—already offered in Boston, Montreal, Washington, D.C. and at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J—at www.nextbus.com.

“We are pleased to work with the Alliance for Downtown New York to bring this passenger enhancement to Lower Manhattan and showcase our proven technology,” said Owen Moore, President of Nextbus, Inc.

Passengers can also check on the buses before they even step outside. In 2004 the Downtown Alliance introduced a Web page— http://downtownny.interfleet.com —that allows them to pinpoint the exact location of buses throughout the day from the comfort of their offices and homes.