Pilot Travel Centers to Offer SiriCOMM’s Wireless Solutions
SiriCOMM, a nationwide broadband wireless software and
network infrastructure solutions company for the commercial transportation
industry and government market, has announced a strategic partnership with
Pilot Travel Centers. Through this partnership, the companies will work
together to deliver value-based services to the transportation industry.
SiriCOMM will install SiriCOMM Wi-Fi Hot Spots at each of the 255 Pilot Travel
Center locations nationwide. Pilot will market SiriCOMM’s services to its
customers as a business partner in SiriCOMM’s value-added reseller program.
Together, the two companies anticipate leveraging the alliance to develop
industry-related business solutions to benefit their mutual customer base.
SiriCOMM provides cost-efficient fleet management solutions to trucking
companies and ISP service to the general public. Truck drivers access
SiriCOMM’s management tools using handheld computers that communicate
wirelessly at each SiriCOMM Wi-Fi Hot Spot. Pilot Travel Centers, the largest
travel center operation in the country, is ideally suited for SiriCOMM’s
services.
“This agreement is an important step in our endeavor to bring our services
to market. Pilot’s extensive nationwide footprint gives us the initial
coverage area our fleet customers require,” said Hank Hoffman, SiriCOMM
president and CEO. “Delivering fleet management solutions and robust
broadband architecture is our highest priority. Our relationship with Pilot
provides us the ability to meet these requirements while providing significant
opportunities to jointly develop services to meet the industry’s growing
needs, deliver environmental benefits, and provide critical safety and
security solutions.”
SiriCOMM will install over 400 hot spots during 2004, focusing on high-
traffic locations that are frequented by truck drivers. In addition to travel
centers, SiriCOMM has identified shipping facilities, state-run locations such
as rest areas and weigh stations, and truck company terminals as potential
SiriCOMM Wi-Fi Hot Spots.
Each SiriCOMM Wi-Fi Hot Spot includes Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) access
points for data communications, a long-range frequency for vehicle data
transmissions, satellite communications, and SiriCOMM’s proprietary remote
server. The Linux-based server dynamically manages the network by granting
access based on each user’s credentials and provides a reliable and secure
environment for business applications. The open-architecture system was
designed to enable SiriCOMM’s partners and customers to develop and launch
proprietary solutions on the nationwide network, in addition to operating
SiriCOMM’s fleet management software.
“SiriCOMM provides a tremendous foundation for our travel centers to
improve efficiency and increase customer throughput by offering a broad new
collection of value oriented services. This partnership opens the door for
Pilot to offer progressive services at each of our locations,” said Pilot CFO
and CIO Jeff Cornish. “SiriCOMM is a pioneering company providing services to
improve business processes within the industry. We are excited to join them
as a business partner and to represent them as a value-added reseller,
marketing their services to our customers.”
Together, the companies envision the travel centers becoming virtual
offices for the 4 million truck drivers, 11 million RV’ers and countless
highway travelers that drive the country’s highway system. These individuals
visit travel centers daily for a wide variety of services. Providing virtual
offices and wireless Internet access is a logical extension to the travel
center business model.
Also under terms of the agreement, Pilot’s remote users, of over 200
representatives, will have the ability to utilize each SiriCOMM Wi-Fi Hot Spot
to perform daily tasks and to access the Internet. Additionally, SiriCOMM’s
satellite network will provide an integrated redundancy solution to Pilot’s
land-based communications network. The two companies plan to create joint
marketing collateral, and expect to produce industry-related business
solutions that utilize SiriCOMM’s network infrastructure.
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