IBM Linux Infrastructure to Provide America's Three Million Truckers Nationwide Truck Stop Wireless Internet Access. 1,000 Truck Stops To Be Transformed to Offer Transportation Industry e-Business On Demand
ARMONK, N.Y. -- March 17, 2003-- IBM and Rocksteady Networks today announced that the companies will provide the infrastructure for Columbia Advanced Wireless (CAW) to offer high speed wireless Internet access at more than 1,000 truck stops throughout the country. The new solution will enable trucking enterprises to gain access to critical information by extending an e-business through this new wireless e- solution.
Rocksteady software loaded on IBM’s Intel-based servers running Linux will enable the nation's truckers to connect to the Internet through 802.11 Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN'S) deployed by Columbia Advanced Wireless. The new solution follows IBM’s recent announcement that the company joined Intel and AT&T to form a new company called Cometa Networks to roll out a ubiquitous nationwide network of public wireless LANs.
According to studies by CAW, more than 25 percent of the three million truck drivers in the U.S. carry laptops. [1] The benefits of Internet access to truck drivers are numerous including the ability for drivers to quickly locate and negotiate loads, to transact banking, to maintain contact with their business partners and employers, and to track weather and road conditions.
CAW will deploy 802.11b or Wi-Fi hotspots at selected truck stops and offer prepaid access cards that act like prepaid calling cards. When accessing the Wireless Local Area Networks at the truck stop drivers can access the Internet using wirelessly enabled laptop computers and are prompted to enter an account number from the prepaid access cards. This new service is designed to increase the driver’s success in a highly competitive industry.
For security and optimum performance CAW will deploy the Rocksteady NSA Network Sharing Application and IBM eServer xSeries systems running Linux as the platform for the new Internet access points. Rocksteady NSA selectively determines whether the truck driver can enter the network and dynamically manages their Internet session based on their credentials. Additional capabilities, such as dynamic bandwidth shaping and metering, help provide a high level of network performance by allocating and prioritizing bandwidth usage in real time on a user-by-user basis.
“Trucking enterprises can help maximize the return on their IT investment by utilizing an on demand operating environment through this secure, reliable and scalable end-to-end mobility solution,” said Rich Michos, VP Linux Servers, IBM. “Accessing backend applications and data running Rocksteady Network software on Linux and IBM Intel-based servers, the new solution will help streamline the efficiency of the trucking industry's business processes enabling truckers to do more business from the road.”
“We wanted truck drivers to be able to enter a truck stop, and purchase a prepaid card to gain access to the network, much like a pre-paid phone card,” said William Read, CEO, Columbia Advanced Wireless. “We require virtually 100% uptime, and since we don't maintain an IT staff at the locations, we need a highly reliable solution. We tried other solutions that simply were not up to the task of performing reliably in a hostile environment. Fortunately, we have found the integration of the IBM xSeries systems and Rocksteady's Network Sharing Application meets our reliability requirements and provides us the ability to rapidly deploy and easily manage our platforms.”
“With our expanding relationship with IBM, we can provide cost-effective solutions that will span 1,000 truck stops within four time zones,” said Kerry Grimes, president and CEO, Rocksteady Networks. “CAW wanted a product that was easy to install and maintain but powerful enough to handle high-volume Internet access with maximum quality of service. With IBM’s hardware and our software, we were able to provide those services without requiring IT managers to be onsite, which has the ability to save CAW thousands of dollars in costs each month.”
# # #
[1] According to the US Department of Labor study, 3.3 million truck drivers were employed in 2000. http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos246.htm
About CAW, Inc.
Columbia Advanced Wireless, Inc. (CAW) is in the business of marketing and
deploying 802.11 Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN's) to the truck stop
industry. The applied technology allows end users to access the Internet
remotely within a controlled area. The benefits of CAW's service allows end
users to connect to the Internet anywhere at a truck stop without the limitations
of wired telephone ports or other wired business solutions typically provided
by truck stops. Wired service providers are limited in the number of ports
available to the end
user and typically utilize a 56k modem resulting in a slow connection. CAW's
solution utilizes broadband service and offers connection speeds of up to 640k
while providing Internet access throughout a truck stop. This freedom allows
end users to access the Internet from anywhere at the truck stop, i.e. while
fueling at the pump, eating in the restaurant or relaxing in the cab of their
trucks. For more information, please go to www.cawinc.com or contact CAW CEO
William Read at (360) 693-4600.
About IBM
IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of
leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across
IBM and key Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions
and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage
of the new era of e-business. For more information about
IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com.
About Rocksteady Networks
Rocksteady Networks provides software solutions enabling companies to securely
share their wired and wireless networks with employees, partners, consultants,
and customers. The RocksteadyNSA Network Sharing Application proactively
authenticates each user before they enter the network environment and then
selectively provides access to specific resources and bandwidth based on
the user's relationship to the organization. Customers benefit from improved
network security, as well as enhanced usability and sharing capabilities.
Rocksteady's turnkey, single-vendor solutions reduce implementation and ongoing
management costs and easily integrates with existing security and authorization
technologies. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Rocksteady Networks is privately
funded and can be found on the web at www.rocksteady.com.
Media Contacts:
RockSteady Networks
Maury Lane
Hill Country Communications Group
(512) 415-1615
maury.lane@hillcountrycommunications.com
Columbia Advanced Wireless, Inc.
William Read
CEO
360-693-4600
bill@truckervision.com
www.cawinc.com
IBM
Lisa Lanspery
212-745-2304
lisalans@us.ibm.com