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  Pinnacle uses advanced TRACKER technology for Serco Pinnacle Computer Systems has integrated TRACKER's advanced satellite based technology with its own leading Service Management System to deliver a custom solution for Serco Rail Maintenance Watford, 30 June 2000. Serco Rail Maintenance has become the latest company to implement a powerful solution from Watford-based Pinnacle Computer Systems which combines an advanced Service Management System with sophisticated satellite-based AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) capabilities. Serco will use the system to help deliver performance targets set under its agreement with Railtrack, and to improve monitoring and control of its fleet of over 200 work vehicles. Already using Pinnacle's established Service Management System, Service Director, it was in some ways natural that Serco should turn to the same company for an AVL solution which would integrate with existing software. Pinnacle managed the project by integrating TRACKER Network UK's Communicator product, which uses advanced satellite communications technology. TRACKER Network is particularly well known for its TRACKER Retrieve and TRACKER Monitor market-leading stolen vehicle recovery systems which operate across the UK in conjunction with all of the UK's 52 police forces. ISDN data will be used to transmit the vehicle information, which is cost effective for frequent updates. By using TRACKER Communicator's Client Server, any number of Serco employees can log on to and view the same data, which will be updated every 10 minutes. Because a solution of this nature is highly customer specific, the time window set by Serco for project completion was (at three weeks) extremely narrow. "A project of this nature is a complex issue," said Pinnacle's Integration Manager, Matthew Larbey, "and the timescale set by Serco was very aggressive. However, as we know the TRACKER product very well, and have an in-house test-bed, it was a perfectly achievable target. Integration was also helped by the fact that Service Director and TRACKER share a common tool set, and that both companies - Pinnacle and TRACKER - want all our joint projects to be a total success. There is excellent cooperation between us at all levels." Since the system went live on 1st April 2000, the number of rail maintenance vehicles equipped with tracking and service management facilities has considerably increased, and other projects are already at the discussion stage. In fact, one of these is the possible use of the system, by Railtrack itself, as a solution to monitoring its own rolling stock and other mobile units. Serco is about to move the existing project into a second phase, due to go live towards the end of 2000. This will be the development of a real-time dynamic link, able to provide a closer relationship between vehicles and assets for improved planning. The success of the Serco project is expected by Pinnacle to act as a template for other companies looking for a solution which integrates advanced SMS capabilities with AVL technology. About Pinnacle Established in 1980, Pinnacle Computer Systems is now the UK's leading supplier of control and management systems for the service industry. The company's flagship product is Service Director®, a comprehensive and integrated packaged solution for managing the business of field service operations. Service Director is a complete system in a single package, covering the entire spectrum of activities needed for cost-effective and efficient service management. The package includes: breakdown calls, planned preventative maintenance, contracts, repairs, provision and sales spares, installations and quotations. With headquarters in Watford, Pinnacle has a global blue-chip client base, including Serco Railtest, Servowarm, Siemens, Kingston Business Communications, Rentokil, Meiko and Triton plc. For further details, please contact David Cotton, Pinnacle Computer Systems, BRE Complex, Bucknalls Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 9XX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1923 686000 |
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