While neophytes view the commercial vehicle industry as a homogeneous market, Norcom Networks Corp. sees a way to provide a high-speed, packet-data communications network to transportation companies in a way that treats each segment as unique.
“We are pioneering a new generation of wireless mobile communications,” said Vern Fotheringham, the company’s president. “Norcom’s wireless network will enable customers to transmit information anywhere in the country faster and with more flexibility than any other mobile communications system in the industry.”
The company said its technology facilitates the rapid transmission of data such as customer service documents, manifests, time sheets and other information that can be integrated into the customer’s business.
Norcom said it plans to introduce land-based service in early 1996 using Ram Mobile Data USA L.P.’s packet-data network. Service is based on an X.25 protocol and features an open architecture. The company said it also provides a packet data communications hub for global data routing within a secure network.
The company said it has signed a bulk capacity agreement with American Mobile Satellite Corp. for satellite coverage to be integrated into the service after the first quarter.
“We are the first in an emerging industry to give customers maximum flexibility and speed in communicating data or voice information via terrestrial stations, satellite or a combination of both,” Fotheringham said.
In addition to flexibility in modem choice, customers can choose from more than a dozen keypads.
“When you get down to the customer level, they look at the keypad. Everything else is assumed to work,” said Richard Beyer, a 17-year veteran of the transportation and vehicle electronics industries who serves as Norcom’s executive vice president.
Beyer noted that the private fleet trucking industry is highly segmented simply because different types of cargo are carried. Norcom is targeting this segment because of its needs for multiple solutions and keypad options.
“Customers will be able to easily access the network with a wide variety of modems and keypads,” Beyer said. “As our customers’ needs change, they will be capable of changing to higher functionality without constraint on their business.”
“From the customer’s perspective we offer the ability to send large amounts of data at a very high speed with our X.25 protocol. Messages will get there in about 3 seconds,” he said.
Beyer said that network services are expected to cost about $50 to $60 per month for a typical customer. Hardware costs can range from $1,100 to $3,900 depending on the application.
