Equipment Resources
Service Trucks
The service and parts truck fleet includes 100 fully outfitted trucks. Each service truck carries an on-hand parts inventory of approximitly $12,000. These self-contained "mobile shops" including company-supplied tools, gauges, meters, welder and compressor. The handheld Mobile Service System (MSS) equipped in each service vehicle brings handheld computing both in field repair and shop applications.

Communications Network
Our communications network is robust and proficient, providing essentially any communication method for our regional locations and field technicians. This network has been designed with adaptability and efficiency in mind and has been built to exceed our demands of reliability, flexibility and speed. Our network servers and software are from industry leading vendors all chosen for their compatibility and reliability.

The network is utilized to provide communications and data exchange to all users whether at the Headquarter Buildings, regional distribution centers or field technicians. At the larger facilities data sharing is real-time through WAN services such as Frame Relay making those offices extensions of the main network. Our satellite facilities and field technicians have the ability to gain access to the network through RAS or Remote Access Services via telephone lines, providing full access to network data. Once on the network, users can then run Network available applications, share data on Network servers or utilize other services on the network. A high-speed connection to the Internet is also available to most users as well.

Field technicians have been outfitted with equipment to receive and transmit data using multiple communication methods. Each field mechanic is issued a portable rugged notebook called the Hammerhead, which has been equipped to communicate with computer network. These Hammerhead devices are fitted with Cellular Digital Packet Data modem (CDPD) that use cellular communications to connect to the Internet and securely transmit data. Field technicians can initiate work-orders, reference on-line parts books and capture signatures. They can print work-orders and work-performance sheets for customers on site. In all, a process that sometimes took weeks to complete now takes just hours.