DriverTech — designers of the DT4000 TruckPC, a Windows XP-embedded onboard computing system with three modes of communications — announced Thursday, March 5, an exclusive agreement with iCooper Inc. of Washougal, Wash. The developers of Simply Intelligent Mobile Applications that utilize iPhone and other handheld mobile devices, iCooper will design and develop enterprise management solutions for DriverTech customers. The companies say the exclusive partnership will extend the capabilities of the DriverTech onboard system by creating a handheld interface and integrated, untethered applications for fleets with 500 or more trucks.
“Our agreement with iCooper will bring new leading-edge solutions to our customers that extend the benefits of the TruckPC beyond current tethered platforms,” says Scott Lemon, vice president of sales for Salt Lake City-based DriverTech. “DriverTech and iCooper will leverage their respective core capabilities to design, engineer, test and integrate products for the truck market that will assist fleets in managing their operations more productively, effectively and efficiently. Together, we will provide a platform that will bring the driver, truck, fleet and its customers together through advanced portable applications that can be easily integrated.”
The baseline iCooper application that will be used for development efforts in partnership with DriverTech is called iOTR, a solution that utilizes the iPhone as a data collection tool to support the activities of mobile professionals. The companies say the planned integrated offerings will enable the creation of an untethered mobile LAN (Local Area Network) to capture and automatically synchronize delivery, truck, driver and customer data wirelessly or through an in-cab docking device.
“This partnership is about combining technology and offering over-the-road, delivery and specialty fleets a truly valuable interface between DriverTech’s onboard system and enterprise management applications that we develop for handheld devices,” says Jared S. Oviatt, chief operating officer at iCooper. “DriverTech’s proven onboard technology and the computing power of the iPhone will allow us to create specific customer-driven networks that give carriers and shippers instant visibility into their operations, enhancing their productivity and efficiency.”
