Talking' 'bout next generation: New applications, lower cost coming for high-speed wireless - but how will it benefit fleets?

摘要

SEVERAL PROVIDERS of onboard computing and mobile communications recently have rolled out - or at least announced plans for - their "next generation" platforms. But other than some vague description of a product upgrade, what exactly does "next generation" mean? Along with new hardware and software designs and applications, the latest platforms ride on the coattails of advances in wireless networks. On one hand, the "next generation" represents an evolution for capturing data, reporting information and improving business processes. But some say a revolution also is under way, with applications coming soon that just a few years ago would have seemed impossible.