Taxi Driver Online

PS Andy who are D** ****T? should say who were they!!

PS Bill I am no fool in fact I am a very large operator based in London and am very well conected, so I guess you wont be getting much business in this neck of the woods then eh?



Kind regards

Eric

You need to lose weight Eric.

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

Hi. It is worth mentioning that PDA's/XDA's are not able to communicate via pmr (the method by which most cab companies communicate with their vehicles). PDA's use GPRS, which is a feature of the mobile phone network. GPRS is good, as you only pay for the bandwidth you use - put another way you are charged for the actual data that is sent, and not charged for being connected to the service.

I've heard it banded around that GPRS costs around 1p per job, so it can be quite cost effective to use, as the cost is probably fairly comparable to pmr when you consider costs such as landlines, highsite fees, etc etc etc.

At the moment however, most firms use PMR to communicate with vehicles - I imagine it will be quite some time until they begin to convert en-mass, although I don't doubt it will happen. Considering all of this, the CT4000 which can roam between GPRS and PMR is not such a bad idea after all.

Consider that although a single companies radio channel does not cover the whole of the UK, where GPRS does, in reality how often are you going to need that sort of range? I agree that this is useful if, for example a driver goes to the airport (which is out of radio range) to drop off, they can be sent a return job much easier. Secondly, the GPRS network is also used by emergency services, and 'normal' mobile phone users. In an emergency, who do you think is going to get most of the GPRS Bandwidth first?

Finally, there is only a certain amount of bandwidth with GPRS - the more applications using it, the more data, the less there is to go around - that is without building more and more mobile phone masts outside your house.

By all accounts, CT4000 data units are out in two firms in the UK, a couple in Spain and are (this month apparently) being officially released to the whole of the UK. Who knows for definate though

Few Correction:



Not correct. They can be used if someone wants to interface them to radios as one Dutch company is using PDA with PMR radios



This is a myth. I am anot aware of a single OPERATIONAL system which can roam between PMR and GPRS. At present it is just in sales booklets.



The issue is not just the RANGE, It is also good radio COVERAGE for the area that a taxi company operates. Just count the number of radio masts installed by mobile network operators in your area and compare them with the number of radio masts by a single taxi company !

Also, there is an issue of expansion. If you expand your taxi fleet, you need more PMR resources and might require to add more base station, etc. With GPRS, you don't have to worry about that aspect of your expansion as your expansion will make a little dent in GPRS capacity.



This is not quite true. Most emergency services such as Police use TETRA system and not GPRS. Very few Ambulance services have recently moved to GPRS.



This is just another scare tactics used by PMR sales people. GPRS has been avilable since 2001. Over the past 5 years x 365 days x 24 hrs, how many hours mobile phone network and GPRS resources been diverted to emergency services !! Be a bit more mature in your arguments if you can.




Your PMR bandwith is shared by other taxi comapnies in your area too?
There is huge apare capacity in GPRS data network and soon with availablity of 3G, this capacity will increase by 100 times.

Comparing amount of bandwith availbale on GPRS to PMR is just a joke. Try to access internet over PMR !!

I leave the security and radio interference comaprison between GPRS and PMR to another discussion !

GPRS is Public data network. Designed for mass usage. Millions of pounds have been spend to implement them with 1000s of radio masts and on much more advanced technology.




Great Sales tactic!! If you can't sell it. After several month Re-launch it again !! But this time "officially" release it! It might work this time, Who knows.

Hi
Sorry INtheKnow but your wrong PDAs can be used for data system over conventional radio systems. You just use the serial port and communicate with the data modem.

Next PDAs DONT use GPRS. What you have is PDAs that have built in mobile phone modules. Not ALL PDAs have mobile phones installed in them, you can easily find this out on the internet or even pop into your local PCWorld.

regards

So Don which GPRS Taxi dispatch company do you work for? Cordic?

Don, YOU are using SCARE tatics and miselading information when it comes to using GPRS. YOUR the one that is coming across as a salesman who is out to make a buck and is pushing his product.

PMR will be here for a long time so will GPRS its as simple as that. It appears that you dont belive this and it would be really interesting to hear your sales advice you give potential customers.

GPRS IS NOT THE BE ALL AND END ALL so DONT COME ON HEAR AND TELL EVERY IT IS DON.

Discuse it, talk about it but DONT ram it down our throats and before you say anything about me not liking GPRS and being anti GPRS, I have one sister group who has 3000 taxis using GPRS dispatch and another that we look after has 600 on GPRS expanding to 1600.

We also have another group moving over to GPRS.

So Don there is my honest views you may not like them but I look at things very practicaly. I believe you have came on hear before with all your facts and figures before but dont go slating off PMR and people using it as if its out of date garbage. It certainly is not, respect it.

Rant and Rave over

This has all got mucky with messed up quoting etc.

I certainly feel that GPRS is giving my company enhance services but that is because of the nature of my business.

I was also shocked at how good the deal is with costings. We already paid for mobile phones to back up radios so are costs have actually reduced considerably. A more standard cab company doing local work might not have the same sums however.

We installed radios in our cars in the mid 1950', two years before our local Police had it. After 49 years it was hardly surprising that a new form of communication would replace it in our business.

Will the rate of change from PMR to GPRS accelerate? I think dramatically so in coming years. And it wll be driven from the opposite direction than computerised despatch systems. Those systems were initially installed in the bigger companies, and gradually were installed in medium then small companies.

I think GPRS will establish its base in small/medium size companies first then move onto the mega companies that the likes of Auriga have made possible.

One thing is for sure, you wouldn't have 500 car fleets with Auriga.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Sorry hadn't finished.

The logistics of those large companies mean they are going to be very risk averse to new, not totally proven technology. They will stay with PMR until GPRS is totally proven. That is why the CT4000 is clever with its joint capacity.

The flaw in the joint capacity is of course you will be paying twice, for PMR landlines etc and bandwith.

Sofor the time being I believe we will see the smaller more specialised companies move to GPRS and the number crunchers sticking to PMR.

It will only take one of the megafleet to change and prove it works forthe rest to follow.

Will it be Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Pompey or Cardiff.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

I know someone will kick me again, but... Jason has PMR and GPRS working together already with the simbox or whatever its called that interfaces between the PMR and the PDA or XDA etc.

Controvosy eh? Don't ya just love it.

Still using pen and bits of paper here.

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

I agree Tom.

I even tried to tidy it up, but lost the will to live.

I think if people wish to quote many times, it better done in different posts than all in the same one.

It's also easier for us less mortals to follow.

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Or Plymouth.

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IDFIMH

Don't you just love a lively debate

CT400 dual band analoge and digital together in the same set, not sure about that one.

Don sounds like an operator to me what do you think Tom?

I have loads to say about the postings that have been made after mine but no time to do so now, have to make some wedge, so watch this space.

Kind regards

Eric

Well you fooled me Don your system is a good one I know someone who has it and they think it's the bee's

Regards

Eric

I agree. At present in this contry, several Taxi comapnies (not megafleet) but with 150 and 250 cars have moved to GPRS with satisfactory results.

Non-Taxi comapnies such as the AA use GPRS now.
Quote from the following link:"Andrew Hawkins, Mobile Solutions Specialist at Detica, said: "The trend towards mobile working based on GPRS technology is one which is growing fast. The AA's long history of maintaining a mobile-based workforce has meant they have immediately recognised the benefits this technology could bring through a more efficient service to members."
http://www.detica.com/indexed/NewsItem_InformationToAAPatrols.htm

In other countries like Singapore, larger taxi firms have switched to GPRS.
see:
http://business.singtel.com/upload_hub/mnc/SmartCab_Mar_2004.pdf

http://www.stee.st.com.sg/newsRm/pdf/yr03/Aug/CityCabTrade110803.pdf

People of such organisations do not make such decisions lightly.