Automated Wireless Environments powers fuel oil software platform Airlink 1XRTT CDMA pinpoint modems integrated with GPS support for Petro Canada
Author: Calgary, Alberta
Source: Automated Wireless Environments
FOR RELEASE AT THE GLOBAL PETROLEUM SHOW
Automation of bulk petroleum delivery trucks has been a growing trend for more than a decade. Beginning with ram-card technology and migrating to full wireless transaction management, bulk petroleum delivery has continued to grow and keep pace with this rapidly developing technology.
From the supply arm at the refinery or distribution center to the customers' site tank, bulk fuel oil distribution has been using wireless for more than five years. An array of radio networks obtain delivery ticket information to and from the truck and distributor using Automated Wireless Environment's (AWE) RF delivery, providing an end-to-end application to ensure bulk fuel distribution is accurate, on time and properly reconciled and billed.
AWE's experience with non-IP- based wireless radio, cellular, CDPD and satellite networks provided reliable service for bulk distributors and supply -chain stakeholders. But with satellite and circuit-switched long distance charges, coverage and robustness issues have presented challenges for the integrated system. This has been successfully solved for by the recent migration to CDMA using Airlink 1xrtt modems.
Since 1999, AWE has been powering software platforms that ensure total reconciliation for liquid bulk distribution. AWE also provides wireless systems for service vehicles, including POS and dispatch. This niche software player was the brainchild of Gary Sullivan, CEO and Mike Sullivan, President, who have carved a specialized market in this vertical space.
"AWE has worked with Petro-Canada since we began, providing POS and dispatching systems for the oil delivery trucks," says Sullivan. The office and the trucks communicate throughout the day, sending orders for oil and retrieving completion data.Communication is critical, and installation of wireless modems for cell phones and radio was time consuming as well as a potential failure point. However, CDMA 1x for wireless Internet remedied any concerns and provided a robust, reliable communications system. Deployment time has been reduced radically and support calls dropped. Trucks can now be dispatched and managed from any point in the country regardless of where the truck is located."
"We began our wireless implementations using a combination of RF radio networks and cellular networks, which provided an adequate coverage footprint for the customer's delivery region," notes Phil Lamache, Petro Canada's manager of logistics. "When we started this program in Canada, we faced the challenge of a huge geographic area for which we had to provide a wireless airlink. AWE had to work with these wireless links to ensure delivery ticket and confirmations traversed robustly from the host to the truck."
"Airlink and AWE have had a long relationship in the CDPD space and we are very pleased to see our IXRTT modem running in Canada on Bell Mobility networks," says Nick Zemlachenko, director of carrier relations for Airlink. "Their experience with our product combined with their industry knowledge adds value for the downstream marketers."
It also provided value-added benefits to the other companies involved in the project. "Over the past two years we have learned a great deal from our partners at AWE," adds Guy Annable, director of business development, Baka Trak-IT™. "Because they are able to work with many wireless networks, we gained a good knowledge base on how their RF server host communicates with the trucks as well as the various interoperability issues. At the end of the day, all the networks that AWE has integrated must work together. And they do, from the satellite in the north to radio in the rural areas, all the installations perform well with their platform.
"Working with the Airlink CDPD products, which are the only modems in the Canadian market with a TCPIP stack, allowed AWE to create an easy migration path to 1xrtt with Bell Mobility's static network IP offering."
About Automated Wireless Environments
Automated Wireless Environments, Inc. (AWE) has been a provider of handheld technology since 1985 and wireless technology for the mobile worker since 1991. AWE is dedicated to providing electronic solutions for the petroleum distribution and fleet service industries with complete solutions for the petroleum distributor, from office to delivery, POS and HVAC. www.automatedwireless.com.
About AirLink
Founded in 1993, AirLink Communications, Inc. develops solutions that enable enterprises to control and collect data wirelessly from remote assets. AirLink's core products are the AirLink Embedded Operating System (ALEOS), end-user software for data acquisition and asset management and a family of intelligent wireless communications platforms. www.airlink.com.
About Baka Trak-IT™
One of Canada's leading providers of solutions for wireless data integration for mobile workforces, Baka Trak-IT develops, implements and deploys a wide range of devices and software solutions to empower the mobile worker. Baka Trak-IT is a division of Baka Communications Inc., headquartered in Etobicoke, ONT. www.bakatrakit.com.
| ©2004 Baka Communications Inc.