News // Logicalis Drives Technology Discussion in Trucking Industry


A Look at Future Technologies Applicable to Trucking

Farmington Hills, MI – May 6, 2010 – “There is no business more lean than a logistics business.  When you’re running a trucking company, every penny counts.  The cost savings and business efficiencies information technology can provide inside this industry – things like cloud computing and server virtualization are invaluable tools that keep savvy trucking companies moving forward at speeds that far outpace their competitors,” says Steve Chaffee, Logicalis’ Solution Architect, Application & Cooperative Cloud Solutions.

Logicalis, an international provider of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services, has been invited to moderate a panel and offer two presentations at the Information Technology & Logistics/National Accounting & Finance Council 2010 Conference and Exhibition, the first-ever joint conference combining the trucking industry’s information technology, logistics and financial decision makers.

“IT isn’t something that’s done in a back room somewhere, far removed from the rest of the company anymore,” Chaffee says.  “Today, IT is the heart of an organization.  It’s a company’s competitive advantage.  And everyone – from sales to operations to accounting – has to know what their IT departments are capable of doing that can act as a springboard to success both internally and externally for their particular company.”

Speaking

Cloud computing is one of the areas trucking industry executives are most interested in learning about.  At the conference, subject matter expert Steve Chaffee from Logicalis will moderate a panel on cloud computing.  Chris Rafter, Logicalis’ Vice President for Applications and Unified Communication Solutions, will offer a presentation on cloud computing and serve as a panelist in this riveting discussion, which will include information on software-as-a-service and infrastrastructure-as-a-service options.  Chaffee and Rafter will help the audience take an in-depth look at the ways in which cloud computing can best serve the trucking industry as a whole, individual companies in particular, and the impact cloud services can have on business relationships throughout the supply chain.

In a separate session, Logicalis’ Vice President of Data Center Solutions Kevin Gruneisen, and Steve Pelletier, Logicalis’ Solutions Architect, will each present and serve on a panel discussing server virtualization strategies and their effect on the efficient operation of a trucking business.  Clearly, there is a direct correlation between efficiency and customer satisfaction in every business, and in today’s digitized world, that efficiency starts in the data center.  Server virtualization not only expands the utility of the data center, but it also provides a springboard for other technological advances that create a smoother operation as a whole; a virtualized server environment is a way to increase efficiencies and reduce costs simultaneously, a more than key consideration in the logistics business where margins are slim and competition is tough.  Gruneisen and Pelletier will discuss the benefits of server virtualization in the trucking industry and offer best practices for a successful implementation.

About The Event

The Information Technology & Logistics/ National Accounting & Finance Council 2010 Conference and Exhibition is a three-day (May 3rd – 6th) motor carrier and allied member conference, featuring keynote presentations delivered by industry experts, interactive sessions, networking opportunities and panels on motor carrier information technology, finance, supply chain and regulatory issues.

The Information Technology & Logistics Council, a technical council of American Trucking Associations, is North America's premier information technology and logistics forum for truck IT and operations professionals.

The National Accounting & Finance Council is dedicated to supporting the interests of the trucking industry's accounting and finance professionals.

American Trucking Associations, the national trade association for the trucking industry, is a federation of affiliated state trucking associations, conferences and organizations that includes more than 37,000 motor carrier members representing every type and class of motor carrier in the country.  ATA serves the interests of more than nine million people and 420,000 companies involved in trucking before Congress, the courts and regulatory agencies.

About Logicalis

Logicalis is an international provider of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services founded on a superior breadth of knowledge and expertise in communications and collaboration; data center optimization; application development and integration; and outsourcing and managed services.

With its international headquarters in the UK, Logicalis Group employs over 1,900 people worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design, specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the needs of over 6,500 corporate and public sector customers.  To achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM and Microsoft.

The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues in excess of $1 billion, from operations in the UK, US, Germany, Latin America and Asia Pacific, and is fast establishing itself as one of the leading IT and Communications service providers, specializing in the areas of advanced technologies and services.

The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, a $4.2 billion revenue business listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges (LSE/JSE: DTC).

For more information about Logicalis, visit http://www.us.logicalis.com/.