Qualcomm Inc.’s new Mobile Computing Platform 50 is a lower-priced product suitable for all fleets and particularly targeted for small and medium-sized fleets, said Norm Ellis, vice president of sales, services and marketing.
The MCP50, to be available this fall, will deliver applications to help users monitor and manage compliance, while also reducing costs associated with fleet safety and operations. It includes:
• An electronic on-board recording system compliant with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations;
• CSA Safety Performance Service to help fleets manage their performance under FMCSA’s new Safety Management System scoring methodology, which is part of the new Compliance, Safety, Accountability program;
• Critical Event Reporting with dashboards to track and improve driving performance;
• On-board navigation;
• Analytics Manager delivers information on operational performance in dashboards, graphs and tables; and
• Vehicle location tracking to improve efficient fleet operations.
Unlike some of Qualcomm’s more complete products, the MCP50 has no fold-out keyboard and does not provide web access, Ellis said.
The unit costs $799. Monthly fees are $24.95 or more, depending on applications the customer includes.
A key feature of the MCP50 that improves safety compliance is Qualcomm’s In-Motion User Interface, which helps minimize driver distraction by restricting the visual displays that drivers can see while the vehicle is in motion. Based on the driver’s log-in status, the IMUI disables the ability to type or read messages when the vehicle is in motion.
The MCP50 also incorporates a text-to-speech feature so drivers can receive and listen to messages without having to pull off the road. All applications are integrated so the system will automatically display the application with the most time-sensitive information to the driver in the least distractive way.
In addition, ALK Technologies’ CoPilot Truck on-board, truck-specific GPS navigation solution will be the standard navigation application on the MCP50 and one of the navigation options on the MCP 110 and MCP200. CoPilot Truck provides drivers with optimal, truck-legal routes based on their vehicle profile information, routing parameters and load-specific information, including hazmat categories.
To learn more about the MCP50, visit http://mcp50.qualcomm.com.