The Intouch Fleet Management System from PeopleNet Communications has joined the generic revolution.

At the National Private Truck Council annual convention in Nashville, Tenn., PeopleNet announced that recent enhancements have made the InTouch system compatible with handheld devices that run the increasingly popular Palm operating system. That includes the Palm IIIxe handheld computer as well as the TRGpro from HandEra and the 1500 and 1700 models from Symbol.
Intouch customers using handhelds can access Intouch features such as two-way form and freeform e-mail, personal and corporate address books and free driver e-mail. They can also access generic Palm applications including calendars, calculators and even games.
According to the announcement, integration with the Palm operating system enables future applications such as bar-coding, signature capture, document exchange and electronic driver logs. PeopeNet customers will also be able to reprogram units over the air and develop their own custom applications.
The Palm operating system emerged with the Palm Pilot handheld computers in the mid 1990s. When the Palm Pilot became a runaway hit, the Palm operating system came to the attention of developers who appreciated its lean structure. The Palm system requires only a fraction of the system resources needed by its leading rival, Windows CE from Microsoft.
PeopleNet Communications, the first mobile communications company to offer Internet connectivity on the dispatch side, is the first established provider to offer generic Palm connectivity on the driver side.
According to a PeopleNet, customers can buy the necessary hardware from them or from any other source. In the case of the Palm computer, that could even be an office supply store. However, a cab-mounted cradle is required for truck-to-dispatch communications and that is available only through PeopleNet.