Our Technological Heritage
ALK prides itself on being a market leader in travel and transportation technology. Since 1979 ALK has been providing breakthrough technology to motor carriers, shippers, private fleets, logistics companies, railroads, mobile professionals and consumer travelers. ALK's commercial trucking applications are used by more than 20,000 companies throughout the world, and its in-vehicle GPS navigation and route guidance solutions are among the most award-winning solutions in the world today.
 In 1986 ALK developed and released the first version of PC*MILER. Now in its 17th release, transportation and logistics professionals all over the world recognize PC*MILER as the industry-standard in routing, mileage and mapping software. It remains the most comprehensive system in the industry thanks to annual map database updates, technological advances and feature upgrades based on user feedback. Included in the over 20,000 companies using PC*MILER, the United States Department of Defense and General Services Administration have come to rely on PC*MILER as their worldwide distance standard.
In 1995 ALK developed Door-to-Door, the first desktop mapping software to provide door-to-door driving directions on one CD. Based on the comprehensive map database maintained for its commercial trucking application, ALK was able to accurately represent the street network of the United States through its own proprietary map database.
Door-to-Door served as the backbone for ALK's next endeavor, GPS navigation. In 1997 CoPilot became the first in-vehicle GPS navigation system to provide door-to-door directions anywhere in the United States using �dynamic route recalculation.� Using a digital representation of the street network of the United States, and a GPS signal, CoPilot was able to determine whether or not you were still traveling on the prescribed route. If not, it was able to route you the most efficient way from your current position. In addition, CoPilot included �two-way voice technology,� which provided spoken directions via laptop speakers, and responded to a number of user-spoken commands.
CoPilot went on to win 4 consecutive Innovations Awards from the Consumer Electronics Association for excellence in design and engineering.
In 1998, ALK upgraded its commercial map database to include truck-specific street-level routes. Now PC*MILER could provide routing, mileage and mapping information from dock-to-dock, as well as simply zip-to-zip.
The first version of Pocket CoPilot was released in 2000 and was the first solution of its kind. Providing door-to-door directions to any address and including spoken turn instructions and route recalculation, Pocket CoPilot again led the market and received numerous industry awards.
In 2001 ALK developed its first cross-market solution using the in-vehicle route guidance technology of CoPilot and the industry-standard truck routing of PC*MILER. CoPilot Truck became the first GPS navigation system designed specifically for professional truck drivers. Using PC*MILER truck restrictions and designations, CoPilot Truck is able to provide spoken dock-to-dock driving directions directly to the driver, from a laptop or Pocket PC in their cab.
 Most recently, ALK has raised the bar again with the inclusion of �Live� communication in its latest generation of CoPilot solutions for the Smartphone, Laptop and Pocket PC platforms. Promising to be the evolution of navigation, CoPilot Live enables real-time communication between vehicle and home or office including two-way messaging, asset location and smart alerts to inform the driver of relevant information without distractions. The latest version of �Live� technology utilizes a secure wireless data connection to access ALK's LiveWeb communications server, an online asset tracking and management website.
|
