Aftermarket Insider Issue 82 - (Page 18)

MArkEt iNtElligENcE current connections Telematics Trendline Following the Growth of Automotive Telematics B Y DER EK K AUFM AN , C3 NE T W ORK , I NC. Telematics Trendline is a monthly article designed to inform AAIA members about the trends in telematics applications for both the retail automotive and commercial trucking industries. The Cell Phone Turns 40 For those of you old enough to remember, there was a time when your ultimate car status symbol was the car phone antenna sticking off the rear window. It told the world you were rolling connected through the phone you had professionally installed in the armrest of your Pontiac. Luckily the evolution of the cell phone has progressed from those days. When we read a great article (http:// mashable.com/2013/04/03/anniversaryof-cellphone/) by Stephanie Buck at Mashable.com (love that site!) on this, we knew we had to share it – nothing more to add. This infographic on the history of the cell phone says it all. MIR Systems We are sure you have had the experience of sitting on an aircraft that is experiencing some form of technical problem. The pilot explains that the problem will take 15 minutes to fix – then you sit for another 30 minutes waiting for paperwork to be done. Our question is, “Why is there paperwork 18 | AFTERMARKET INSIDER | VOLUME 82 at all? Why doesn’t the technician have a mobile device to scan the parts used, enter the aircraft number and send the report straight to headquarters?” We’re sure it is coming any day now. Marc Costa, a New Jersey police officer, was probably thinking something similar when he formed MIR Systems (Mobile Incident Reporting). Costa knew that an excess of paperwork plagues every police officer. In fact, he often found himself spending 50 or more percent of his day filling out forms. So, instead of simply complaining about it, Costa took action. He designed a durable 4G LTE Android tablet that contains three apps that provide report templates, the ability to search motor vehicle information by photographing license plates and the ability to browse previously filed reports to understand a person’s police record. Costa has also incorporated a customized version of Google Maps, texting and video chat capabilities as well as a translation program for working with foreign language speakers. The tablet connects to a secure server, which is located at the police department. MIR markets the ruggedize tablet for the rough atmosphere of police work, but its software will work on any Windows 8 mobile device. MIR is up against some tough competition. Raytheon and Motorola Solutions dominate the law enforcement IT and general communications space, but MIR’s approach is Costa designed a durable 4G lTe android tablet that contains three apps that provide report templates, the ability to search motor vehicle information by photographing license plates and the ability to browse previously filed reports to understand a person’s police record. http://www.mashable.com/2013/04/03/anniversary-of-cellphone http://www.mashable.com/2013/04/03/anniversary-of-cellphone http://www.mashable.com/2013/04/03/anniversary-of-cellphone http://www.Mashable.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aftermarket Insider Issue 82

Aftermarket Insider Issue 82
Contents
President’s Message
Segment News
Essential Information
Company Profile
Government Affairs
Member Profile
Toolbox
Inside Technology
Software Piracy in the Aftermarket
Head of the Class
Market Intelligence

Aftermarket Insider Issue 82