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Ford Work Solutions: The Home Office on Wheels

070809_rg_office_wheels_01.jpgWe are spending a lot of time in cars. It's just common sense to have some kind of mobile work integration, so that all those hours spent in gridlock can actually be used for a purpose, instead of just listening to the radio. What's so interesting is that this isn't some after-market upgrade, but a reliable package from Ford to help mobile commercial workers remain productive while they are traveling.

 
 

070809_rg_office_wheels_02.jpgIn an era when most of us are spending significant amounts of time in cars commuting or traveling, Ford has recognized these issues and come up with applications and services designed for mobile commercial customers. These technologies include a theft-proof built-in computer, which means that you won't have your laptop stolen anymore, and a few tools which will help track the vehicle and secure equipment in the beds of pickup trucks. This will reduce the chance of getting them stolen as well.

Ford is calling this package Work Solutions and it will be offered as a $2,815 add-on for pickups, but can cost less if buyers pick and choose among the features. Ford says that this will help increase productivity to a new level by bringing the office with you in an integrated and seamless package. Ford will partner with DeWalt, Garmin, Master Lock, Microlise, Sprint, Magnetti-Marelli, and Microsoft to deliver these capabilities to buyers.

The Work Solutions gadgets are available on Ford's F-150 light and super duty pickups, and the upcoming Transit Connect commercial minivan. Some of these components will be available for dealer installation in trucks that customers already own. For some people, this might sound like a nightmare. Having your office with you at all times? However, there are those people that absolutely need to be connected with their office in order to work properly. These people will benefit from the office on wheels. It will also make working while traveling a lot easier. You could easily schedule a road trip and still be reachable for work issues this way. [via MSNBC, images via Ford]

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travel, computers, mobile, office, home office, car, work, Travel, Ford

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Comments (4)

I wouldn’t want this from the aspect of long term reliability and upgradeability. When you need more ram, do you go talk to your mechanic?

posted by sciteach on July 8th 2009 at 8:38pm
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If you are traveling, wouldn't you presumably be on "vacation"? The definition of not working? I see how this would be useful for the construction industry, but aren't we already in our vehicles too much? I would hope that these truck owners aren't driving all over the country checking email and talking on the phone. Aren't we distracted enough?

@sciteach: You might have to talk with your mechanic! and he (or she) is probably a decent sort. These days automotive technicians are specifically trained and usually not what you would expect. Don't assume they aren't capable - your car is essentially a computer these days, so they probably know more about electronics than one might expect...my husband was a mechanic for several years, and while he was a rarity (college-educated) in his particular workplace, the majority of the guys (and they were, with one exception) knew their stuff. It's like any other job: within the team, different people find tasks they are good at, and work in that vein. True, some people will always pull the engines and do the heavy-duty jobs, others work more with the computers/electronics or other systems. They are motivated, too. They are paid in a flat-rate system, so the faster they work, the more $$ they make. They have to do it well, the first time, or the car comes back and is reflected in their work history, and that impacts raises, and their overall efficiency.

posted by learnbydesign on July 9th 2009 at 9:58am
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My car got rear-ended the other day and I had to meet with the insurance agent in a parking lot. He had a setup something like this in his car, it wasn't in his dashboard, but he did have a laptop with satellite connection to the internet and a bluetooth connection to the printer in the backseat. He'd looked up prices, a local body shop, printed me the quote, and the check in under 30 minutes. It was several thousand dollars worth of equipment. I wouldn't buy a truck like this, but I was sure glad I didn't have to go home and wait hours an email, or even days for a snail mail. I would bet the main target of this isn't people stuck in a grid-lock, it insurance agents, contractors, and electricians who might not even HAVE a regular office and need to easily print off bills, quote prices and look up information from multiple locations. I think it's a good move from Ford to try to make these set-ups more easily available (and harder to steal).
@learnbydesign - It's being offered in a Ford F-150 most people don't 'vacation' in a pick-up, terrible mileage, and no back seat to throw the kids into.

posted by Rolen the Great on July 9th 2009 at 10:44am
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Learnbydesign: Didn’t intend for that to read as a slight of any mechanics knowledge. As someone who attempts to tinker, I respect and envy what it means to be a skilled mechanic.

My point was that given the number of systems and massive amount of electronics already integrated into a modern car, I am not sure I would want something like this. I spent some time in a utility truck that had a slick laptop system mounted in it (much like Rolen described). The best part; if computer problems arise, just take it off the mounting system and pop another one in. Maybe two minutes of work versus much more downtime if the system is actually built into the auto.

posted by sciteach on July 9th 2009 at 9:26pm
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