Open Systems Seen as Window to Computer Equality for Trucks

CHICAGO — Forget JIT and ERP. Carriers can leave future developments of just-in-time and enterprise resource planning to strategic logisticians. The future of trucking and its role in supply chain management systems may be small, open windows.

One of the themes heard by some of the 2,000 participants at the Distribution/Computer Expo, which ran from April 27 to 29, was that the future of in-cab carrier computing and communications lies not with expensive proprietary systems, but with small, low-cost, powerful systems that will permit carriers to use off-the-shelf applications. The result may put those advanced productivity applications within the reach of small and mid-size carriers.

The key to this new promise of greater productivity is the move by the high-tech suppliers to introduce computers and wireless communications systems that use the open architecture of the Windows CE operating system. Unlike proprietary systems that use only the software and hardware designed by the system supplier, the Windows open architecture works with several pieces of hardware and accepts many off-the-shelf applications.

Windows CE is the pared-down version of its larger cousins, the operating systems for personal and network computers. It was developed to power small hand-held and laptop computers. Its simplified powers make it easily adaptable for an on-board truck computer system.

Technology suppliers are betting that proprietary systems will give way to systems based on an open architecture — and Windows CE is the choice.

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