ALK Technologies has announced that Gainey Corp. has implemented ALK’s Multi-Version Switch software that allows automated access to multiple versions of PC*Miler on one server or on several different servers simultaneously.
Gainey Transportation Services operates more than 3,300 company tractors and 5,000 trailers. ALK, based in Princeton, N.J., is a developer of routing, mileage and mapping software. ALK’s flagship product, PC*Miler, is designed to provide the transportation industry with reliable truck-specific routing. Used by motor carriers, shippers and logistics companies, PC*Miler is intended to help transportation managers efficiently plan loads and calculate freight charges.
A PC*Miler customer for eight years, Gainey says it has come to rely on the software as an important part of its day-to-day operations. “MVS allows us to make sure that each customer is set up on their proper mileage system without having to manually deal with each order,” says Eric Pell, director of management information services for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Gainey. “ALK’s MVS also ensures that customer contracts are maintained with their PC*Miler version of choice, a great tool to stay competitive in today’s market.”
ALK says when it releases an update to PC*Miler, the new version does not have to replace previous versions. ALK’s MVS is designed to allow users to maintain two or more versions of PC*Miler software on a single computer or network server; this can include the most recent version as well as one or more earlier versions. ALK’s Multi-Version Switch supports PC*Miler 14 through the upcoming release of PC*Miler 20, and it also is compatible with what ALK describes as the industry’s only exact toll cost calculation software, ALK|FleetSuite Tolls.
Implementing MVS provides a practical advantage for many PC*Miler customers who base transportation contracts on a specific version of PC*Miler. Due to the fact that the term of a contract may extend beyond one or more regular updates of the software, transportation companies must be able to run more than one version of PC*Miler for billing purposes. Before MVS, older versions had to be run in a separate computer environment, with separate maintenance costs and setup fees; MVS is designed to remove that complication and streamline bidding and billing processes.
MVS is an enhanced function of ALK’s PC*Miler|Connect integration software that interfaces PC*Miler routing and mileage with all leading and custom transportation and logistics management software systems. ALK’s MVS runs in a Windows environment and on IBM AS/400 (iSeries) midrange computers. For more information, visit www.alk.com/mvs.
