The FINANCIAL — Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), one of the leading providers of business-to-business wireless enterprise applications and services, and Instructional Technologies Inc. (ITI), the privately held leader in interactive, computer-based driver training, on March 8 announced that they are collaborating to provide the Pro-TREAD Training Series on the Qualcomm Mobile Computing Platform 200 Series (MCP200).
ITI's interactive Pro-TREAD In-Cab training will increase driver efficiency and productivity by enabling drivers to complete safety, regulatory and hazardous materials (hazmat) training during periods of non-driving downtime via a high quality in-cab multimedia experience. A demonstration of ITI's training series and the MCP200 will be available for viewing in Qualcomm Booth #600 at the Truckload Carriers Association Annual Convention (TCA), March 8-11 in Orlando, Florida.
The MCP200 is designed to increase transportation company revenue by enabling drivers to provide better customer service and by enhancing in-cab productivity. An addition to the Qualcomm Mobile Computing Platform product line originally launched in September 2006, the MCP200 delivers an expanded set of award-winning OmniVisionSM Transportation Services, adding Wi-Fi , in-cab training, Internet access and multi-mode capability.
ITI's Pro-TREAD training applies in-cab training technology, first developed for advanced pilot training, to the trucking industry. ITI provides sophisticated, interactive driver training to some 185 fleets in the U.S. and Canada, either at fleet terminals or anywhere via the Internet.
“The Qualcomm/Pro-TREAD collaboration allows a company's drivers to receive safety training in a timely manner, which could help to prevent accidents before they happen and decrease the company's liability,” said Norm Ellis, vice president of transportation and logistics sales and service for Qualcomm Enterprise Services. “By collaborating with industry leader ITI to include their solution on the MCP200, we can now offer our customers a more efficient training solution.”
“The integration of Pro-TREAD with Qualcomm's MCP200 Series results in a powerful and highly effective in-cab training experience for fleet customers,” said Dr. James Voorhees, CEO of ITI. “The in-cab video capability of the MCP200 makes it an ideal platform for interactive, multimedia content delivery. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with the industry's leader in end-to-end solutions for the transportation industry.”
The availability of Pro-TREAD In-Cab video training on the MCP200 can help increase driver compliance and satisfaction by allowing drivers to complete continuously updated training right in the cab, making valuable use of non-driving downtime. This and other premium capabilities of the MCP200 will enable fleets to effectively transform their cabs into mobile operations centers. Driver training and other important activities that were previously confined to a corporate office, field service center or driver kiosk can now be completed conveniently and efficiently inside the cab.
Pro-TREAD will be available on the MCP200 when the platform becomes commercially available in summer 2009.
Qualcomm Enterprise Services delivers integrated wireless systems and services that enable businesses around the world to operate at peak performance. The division provides comprehensive wireless solutions and services, including two-way data communications systems, productivity-enhancing applications, global mobile data management, enterprise-level consulting and managed network services for the expanding wireless world for everything wirelessly connected. Qualcomm's world-class technology infrastructure, customer focus and professional services help enterprise customers succeed and thrive.
Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2008 FORTUNE 500® company.
Instructional Technologies Inc. (ITI) of Vancouver, Wash. provides Pro-TREAD and Pro-TREAD In-Cab interactive, computer-based truck-driver training, which is currently delivering more than 50,000 lessons each month to some 185 North American carriers with from 15 to 40,000 drivers. Driver training records are maintained on a private, on-line database for each client fleet, which serves as documentation that can be invaluable for compliance and litigation. Drivers can complete lessons with “Mastery Training” at company terminals or anywhere over the Internet, and now in-cab via the Qualcomm MCP200. Pro-TREAD's wide and growing range of some 55 lessons covers the areas of safety and defensive driving, regulatory training, hazmat safety and regulations, OSHA and workplace safety, tanker-specific training, and the federally required entry-level courses.
