Charting Success on the Road

Whether you are the frightened parent of an abducted child or someone simply trying to make it through a winter storm to get to work on time, the ability to quickly post Amber Alerts or determine Maryland's fastest, safest roadway is priceless.

As automotive manufacturers add more Internet-enabled technology to their vehicles, the risk of unwanted passengers joining the ride grows. From less harmful invasions, where hackers use mobile devices to open doors, to more dangerous scenarios where criminals remotely disable a car's systems during operation — today's connected cars are ripe for cyberexploitation.

When you're one of the world's biggest rail operators, staying on top means keeping an eye on opportunities. And when your drivers want a mobile application to support their work, you turn to an expert in mobility and rail solutions.

As aviation-governing bodies around the world work to define appropriate and safe use of drones for commercial use, companies are rushing to find new ways to take their business to the skies. The drone industry is ready to take wing as the technology, once regulated to hobbyists and militaries, primes for growth.

You learn a few things when you operate Europe's densest and most intensively used railroad network. Switzerland's Federal Railways was ready to build a new rail dispatching system and knew exactly what it wanted: a solution that harnessed innovative technologies and would serve the country well into the future.

When Denmark and Sweden settled a 300-year-old debate about linking the two countries and began building Europe's longest road and rail bridge, the Swedish Transport Authority anticipated a boost in traffic and traveler inquiries. To cope with this influx, they chose a custom solution: Boomerang.

The saying, "Time is money," couldn't be more true, especially when it comes to driving. Traffic affects more than just a schedule; it also hits the bottom line. By distributing video, messaging, system alerts and data to Maryland's Statewide Operations Center, it can evaluate and post road and weather conditions, provide emergency response, manage traffic flow and provide real-time information.

How does a high-speed train company compete with the airline industry for international business travelers? Thalys International, which operates passenger trains between Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam, decided to offer a premium service meeting travelers' particular requirements to win new market share.

A combination of environmental awareness, rising energy costs and road congestion continues to drive growth for rail transport. However, that growth is not without challenges, including truck and airline competition, decaying infrastructure, disparate systems and demanding customers. IT offers the potential to overcome these challenges, drive efficiencies and level the field.

To provide its customers with greater value, YRC Worldwide, the largest less-than-truckload carrier in North America, decided it was time for two of its subsidiaries to share more than the highway.

For one of the world's largest automakers, not all success takes place on the road. VW uses Europe's dense railway network to supply many of its production and distribution facilities across the continent. When the manufacturer wanted to more efficiently manage its freight logistics operations, it chose a paperless solution.