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AVL Information Systems, Inc. |
Company Data | Introduction | News Update | Company Potential | Chinese |
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| Address: | 2323 Passingham Dr.Sarnia, Ontario N7T 7H4 |
| Tel No.: | (810) 493-9794 |
| Fax No.: | (810) 493-9325 |
| Toll Free No.: | 1-800-260-0060 |
| Web Site: | www.avlinfosys.com |
| Email: | inquire@avlinfosys.com |
| Contact Person: | Peter Fisher |
| Position: | Chairman |
| Traded Market: | CDN |
| Traded Symbol: | AVLL |
| Outstanding Shares: | 34,529,327 |
| Public Float: | Approx. 16 million |
| 52 Week High: | NA |
| 52 Week Low: | NA |
| Present Price: | $0.33 (08/06/2000) |
AVL Information Systems, Inc. was incorporated as a Michigan corporation in October of 1991. The mission was to develop, manufacture and market automatic vehicle location devices.
In mid-1993, AVLIS began the installation of its first AVL system in the state of Michigan with the Shelby Township Police Department. Shelby PD had decided to augment its partially automated department with
AVLIS® technology to ensure officer safety and efficiency. Originally, fifteen patrol cars were outfitted with
the company's AVL units. The dispatchers monitor the vehicles using a PC
running a popular desktop mapping package and
AVLIS® application software. After working closely with the Police Department,
AVLIS® reconfigured the system from
polling to an event-driven approach. The vehicles have sensing devices that cause the in-vehicle processor to transmit a position and status back to the base unit when the vehicle starts or stops, when the engine exceeds a predetermined speed or traverses a pre-set distance, when the overhead lights are turned on, and when sirens or any number of other events occur.
The icons on the map depict those conditions visually while a log file is maintained with date and time stamps for all events. This allows analysis and playback of a vehicle's actions at a later time by supervisory personnel.
The AVLIS® AVL unit has redefined the standard for AVL systems. The ability of the in-vehicle processor to be configured remotely to provide unit status and location when needed, rather than when polled , has positioned AVLIS® as a unique solution provider in AVL technology. The event-based operating system is recognized as the most efficient use of airtime for data transmission. The AVLIS® event based system handles up to four times as many vehicles as the typical polled approach. Though other companies lay claim to being event based, the AVLIS® unit is the only one that has been operating successfully for over three years.
Another safety feature in use is the RamDetector™, and optional device which causes the in-vehicle processor to transmit a position and message packet in the event of a collision.
The Engineering, Research and Development staff is located in Big Rapids, Michigan. After a successful incubation period at the Technology Transfer Center of Ferris State University, AVLIS moved to a significantly larger facility.
The corporation is headquartered in Clinton Township, Michigan, and is headed by one of the two founders of the company. AVLIS currently has thirteen full time employees and four part-time employees.
Independent investors and sales revenues have funded the company. AVLIS® is a wholly owned subsidiary of AVL Information Systems, Ltd., an Ontario, Canada corporation. The company is publicly owned and traded on the over-the-counter (CDN) exchange in Toronto. Efforts are ongoing to attract seed capital and established joint venture partners in capacities of manufacturing and marketing as well, to provide the financial capacity to meet market demand and enhance the product as well as to properly support its customers.
AVL Information Systems, Ltd. announced that they formed a joint venture marketing corporation with MONTELLO Resources Ltd. to sell and promote the OVT (Online Vehicle Tracking) system developed by the research and development department of AVLIS.
The recently developed OVT system will be launched for the first time on the internet and will bring "real time""event based" location systems to
the internet. The advantage of OVT is that it brings affordable location technology to the industrial and consumer marketplace at a reduced cost over conventional
systems. In addition to monitoring vehicle location and providing theft deterrence, OVT can provide instant vehicle speed and engine function among other applications. OVT is also suitable for fleet vehicle location and personal use. Contracts are already in place with Ameritech, AT&T, GTE, and Bell Atlantic to act as CDPD providers and to act as sales agents
for the products.
AVLIS will vend its entire product line into the joint venture corporation and will become the manufacturing and R&D provider for the new corporation with a focus on affordable internet location monitoring. Montello will acquire an initial 15% interest in the joint venture corporation for US$250,000 and an option to acquire an additional 35% interest for an additional US$750,000.
While AVLIS® is a small company, it believes it has a unique approach with the event-driven technique. By partnering with other companies, AVLISâ can maintain its status as a leader in AVL technology. Customer satisfaction is a guiding principal and is evidenced by comments from all of their valued customers. Their business philosophy is to form a partnership with a customer to ensure that the available technologies are effectively utilized to solve the operational issues.
Their never-ending product enhancement programs make AVL solution the best in the industry; and their event-based approach to fleet management is now being duplicated by others. The fact remains, AVL Information Systems, Inc. was the first company in the AVL industry to create, market, and sell a truly "event-based" vehicle information system. AVLIS® is also the first AVL company worldwide to be installed on a Medivac helicopter, enabling the dispatcher to see the real time location of both the helicopter and the other 32 ambulances on their AVLISâ AVL system at the same time.
The AVLIS® in-vehicle processor is more than just an AVL Information Systems, Inc. device. It is the hub of an in-vehicle information system. The device can serve as the connection point for data terminals, radios, sensors, bar-code and mag-stripe readers, video and imaging technology and the like. The VIS-104HP is unique in that it currently automatically operates in a multi-mode communication environment. As they move into the 21st century, technologies are making it possible to move information systems to field personnel, AVLIS® can offer the most advanced platform from which this can be achieved.