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eTechnician > FAQs
eTechnician Fleet Maintenance Software FAQs
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What is eTechnician?
eTechnician is a wireless diagnostic service that enables manufacturers, owners and operators of commercial vehicles (including light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles) to remotely access vehicle operating data, perform diagnostics and configure their equipment in real-time. It incorporates all of the performance features of NEXIQ Technologies' existing suite of diagnostic products in a wireless platform and adds the benefits provided by remote, command-and-control systems.
How does eTechnician fit with other vehicle applications?
eTechnician acts as a vehicle gateway for applications and services, including those developed and maintained by NEXIQ, as well as applications developed by others, including fleet reporting packages, maintenance packages, warranty and help-desk support packages, mapping and logistics packages, and DOT reporting applications, among many others.
In addition, driver productivity and vehicle support systems, such as on-board driver information systems, trip recorders and vehicle configuration utilities, can be enhanced using eTechnician.
What industry challenges does eTechnician address?
There are more than 11 million commercial vehicles operating in the US marketplace. Vehicle and component manufacturers, fleet operators, leasing firms and service (maintenance and repair) centers all have a major economic stake optimizing performance. eTechnician is unique in its approach to providing a single platform that that meets challenges for multiple stakeholders. Specific stakeholders and challenges addressed by eTechnician include:
- Vehicle Owners and operators such as truck fleets need to significantly improve fuel economy, as well as vehicle and labor "up-time."
- Vehicle Leasing companies need to automate billing, lower operating costs, improve warranty management and improve customer service.
- Vehicle and Component Manufacturers must develop significantly improved after-market customer service activities while substantially lowering costs.
- They also need to enhance product performance tracking for improved product design and warranty management.
- Service Centers need pre-arrival diagnostics and better service scheduling input for more efficient and effective operations.
What are typical eTechnician applications?
They include engine diagnostics, engine management, trip reporting, maintenance alerts, vehicle configuration and warranty management, to name a few. eTechnician users are provided both a back-office application interface and a browser interface, thus gaining access to the vehicle for different types of uses and for various specific needs. eTechnician users can utilize the system through its browser interface, or can tie it to their internal, existing back-office applications and operations, such as billing, asset management and maintenance, thus integrating it with overall fleet operations.
Who benefits from eTechnician and how?
- Vehicle Owners can obtain vehicle maintenance, diagnostic, trip, location or operations information.
- Leasing Organizations can obtain mileage, fuel use, vehicle location and driver use/abuse information.
- OEMs can remotely access their installed units to monitor performance and to avoid costly repairs or product failures of in-warranty products. They can also gain valuable knowledge about the wear characteristics of a population of equipment over time.
Specifically, OEMs that are Vehicle Manufacturers can assist in vehicle service, provide improved warranty support and obtain vehicle data to assist in predictive maintenance development, as well as provide over-the-air component calibration updates or configurations. Component Manufacturers, for their part, can assist in component service, calibration, firmware downloads and trend analysis.
- Service Outlets and Facilities can perform remote breakdown analysis prior to dispatching a qualified technician, determining required components and then routing the vehicle to the nearest location capable of performing the necessary service.
- Fleet Managers can remotely monitor and change the performance characteristics of their trucks, such as maximum engine speed and horsepower settings, on a real-time basis.
What elements comprise eTechnician? How is eTechnician delivered to users?
eTechnician uses a standard Internet browser, an On-Vehicle Computer and an Application Service Provider (ASP) data center. The service is delivered via the Internet through NEXIQ Technologies' ASP center, as well as over land-based or satellite wireless communications networks.
What are ASPs? How does eTechnician use the ASP model?
Application Service Providers, or ASPs, are specialized data centers that provide software functionality over the Internet or a private network. They fundamentally change the way vendors do business and customer companies shop for and manage applications.
Applications within the eTechnician suite are deployed as a service using an ASP model. This model eliminates the need for physical distribution of software; rather, features and updates are available immediately, since the majority of any application resides and runs on the server.
Applications not on the ASP server reside on eTechnician´s On-Vehicle Computer. These applications are loaded onto the computer during vehicle installation, or in the case of updates or special applications, downloaded through the wireless network connection.
How do customers use NEXIQ eTechnician ASP applications?
Companies that subscribe to eTechnician's services, use the applications just as consumers use telephone voice-mail. The voice-mail technology doesn't exist in the person's house. It resides at the phone company. The user simply pays the phone company monthly to access its technology. Just as renting voice mail capability allows the consumer to avoid buying, maintaining and replacing an answering machine, subscribing to NEXIQ's eTechnician, allows OEMs, fleet operators and vehicle leasing firms to avoid purchasing, installing, supporting and upgrading expensive software applications.
What is eTechnician's operating range?
eTechnician's terrestrial wireless backbone provides on-street coverage to more than 97 percent of the nation's "metropolitan statistical areas" and extends service to 99 percent of the 500 most populated U.S. cities, touching more than 220 million people. In addition, eTechnician can operate on a satellite-based system that provides seamless, nationwide coverage.
Who are NEXIQ Technologies' partners in eTechnician?
WirelessCar is providing NEXIQ Technologies with a comprehensive billing system capable of managing multiple user accounts and account types. Its system will be used to manage all of eTechnician's billing processes. The company will also act as eTechnician's wireless network interface in Europe, thus enabling GSM wireless based eTechnician services to European customers.
Aether Systems has been selected by NEXIQ Technologies to provide a terrestrial wireless backbone for eTechnician.
NEXIQ Technologies is also in the process of developing eTechnician with satellite communications capabilities.
How can businesses purchase eTechnician? How much does it cost?
eTechnician can be purchased through a variety of methods. Because eTechnician is a system-level purchase with multiple options, there are many factors that determine the cost. Contact Tom Kotenko(Thomas.Kotenko@snapon.com) for purchasing details.
How Is eTechnician Installed?
The eTechnician On-Vehicle Computer is a ruggedized computer designed to be installed in the tractor cabin. The computer, which meets all industry standards for invehicle installation, is connected to the diagnostic network via the diagnostic port in the vehicle cabin. The computer is powered by the vehicle's existing power system and contains the necessary wireless network communication device, which is hooked to an external antenna.
Once the On-Vehicle Computer is installed, information about that particular vehicle
is captured from the diagnostic network and provided to the Application Service
Provider data center. This activates the vehicle for use within the eTechnician
system.
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