I.D. Systems expands wireless options for industrial vehicle management
I.D. Systems, Inc. announced that it has expanded the
wireless communication options its clients can choose for managing
forklifts and other powered industrial trucks. In addition to
Intelligent RFID™ communications — one of the the hallmarks of I.D.
Systems’ patented vehicle management technology — the
company’s newest systems incorporate a high security, industry standard
Wi-Fi option that enables vehicles to communicate over most existing
wireless networks.
The first customers to deploy I.D. Systems’ new Wi-Fi
solution include one of the largest food distributors in the United
States, a global automotive manufacturer based in Germany, and the U.S.
Department of Defense.
I.D. Systems pioneered the concept of wireless industrial
fleet management in the mid 1990s and has been a market leader since,
supplying a wide range of retailers, manufacturers and government
agencies with enterprise-scale solutions. The company’s core competence
in wireless network, local area network, and wide area network
architectures is unique among industrial fleet management providers.
I.D. Systems’ wireless expertise was critical in the
development of its new Wi-Fi option. The new system is designed with
unique capabilities to meet the most significant challenges faced in
deploying Wi-Fi applications: network security, functional robustness,
and system manageability.
“Network security is a major concern when deploying Wi-Fi
technology,” said Peter Fausel, I.D. Systems’ executive vice president
of sales, marketing and customer service. “Our new Wi-Fi system
incorporates the latest network security protocols — up to and
including military standards — which is a critical go/no-go factor for
many enterprises.”
The wireless network security standards supported by the new system
include WPA-PSK (TKIP), WPA2-PSK (AES), WPA-EM (PEAP-MSCHAPv2), WPA2-EM
(PEAP-MSCHAPv2) and, in the near future, FIPS 140-2.
I.D. Systems’ Wi-Fi solution is also designed with
multiple features to maximize wireless communication reliability and
ensure preservation of critical system data.
“One key feature of our Wi-Fi product is an internal
antenna on each vehicle communication module — internal antennas are
essential for the greatest system dependability in industrial
environments,” said Fausel. “Even more important, our patented system
intelligence means the system will react to vehicle events and preserve
all data — even if Wi-Fi network connectivity is interrupted for any
reason — and will automatically reconnect to the network without
operator involvement.”
External antennas on industrial trucks are prone to
damage, vandalism, subsequent disruptions to wireless communications,
and the resulting risk of compromising the integrity of system data.
“Another concern our customers have about Wi-Fi-based
vehicle management is the ease or difficulty of maintaining the
systems,” added Fausel. “Network IP address maintenance is not a
trivial issue if you have a lot of vehicles. And upgrades to security
protocols, or the network itself, can mean a laborious, manual process
to change the settings of the individual wireless devices mounted on
each vehicle."
I.D. Systems’ Wi-Fi solution enables remote configuration
(and reconfiguration) of wireless network settings without having to
touch any of the vehicles. This automatic process is a significant
advantage over systems that require hands on hardware configuration on
every vehicle, especially during post installation system upgrades and
modifications to security settings.
Wireless industrial vehicle management systems improve
workplace safety and security by restricting vehicle access to trained,
authorized operators, providing electronic vehicle safety inspection
checklists, and sensing vehicle impacts. These systems also reduce
fleet maintenance costs by automatically uploading vehicle data,
reporting vehicle problems electronically, scheduling maintenance
according to actual vehicle usage rather than by calendar or manual
data entry, and helping determine the optimal economic time to replace
equipment. In addition, wireless fleet management systems help improve
productivity by establishing accountability for use of equipment,
ensuring equipment is in the proper place at the right time,
streamlining work flow through automated messaging, and providing
management with unique metrics on-and controls over-equipment
utilization.
Based in Hackensack, NJ, with European business offices in
Düsseldorf, Germany, I.D. Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of
wireless solutions for managing and securing high value enterprise
assets. These assets include industrial vehicles, such as forklifts and
airport ground support equipment, and rental vehicles. The company’s
patented system, which utilizes radio frequency identification, or
RFID, technology, addresses the needs of organizations to control,
track, monitor and analyze their assets. For more information about
I.D. Systems, visit www.id-systems.com.
