Asset management, aviation connectivity and maritime communications are three "remote applications" outside the mainstream wireless markets of voice, data and now video. To the companies that offer these services, including wireless and satellite providers, these remote applications represent viable sources of profit, especially in the wake of 9/11. For others, these applications prove the value of "thinking outside the box" when seeking new markets to conquer. According to Truckinfo.net, there are roughly 1.9 million tractor-trailers in the United States and more than 360,000 trucking firms. These firms need to know where their trucks are at all times because late, lost or stolen tractor-trailers can cost companies millions in business losses. In addition, homeland-security officials need to know where trucks are due to the threat of terrorist attacks. For example, in 2002, a Mexican freight trailer carrying 96 barrels of sodium cyanide was hijacked at gunpoint near Mexico City. Police eventually recovered the abandoned truck and 90 of the barrels. Six still are missing.
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