PRINCETON, NJ – ALK Technologies, Inc., the leading developer of global routing, mileage, mapping and route GPS navigation software, introduced PC*MILER Web Services. This is a hosted interfacing application that provides industry-standard PC*MILER map data and functionality quickly and efficiently to customers. It does this regardless of the IT infrastructure via a schema driven XML/SOAP interface developed in Microsoft® .NET, packaged as a Web Service.
Driven by the core functionality of PC*MILER, PC*MILER Web Services represents an important way for businesses to communicate with each other. It does not provide the user with a graphical user interface and instead shares PC*MILER's functionality via the web making it easier to connect to the necessary components of PC*MILER to enhance your application or system interface.
For example, necessary data for an individual shipment can pass instantly from PC*MILER Web Services' world class outsourced Level3 servers that host the service through an AS/400 corporate server to a Windows or even Linux-based work station. Virtually any other platform or operating system is compatible, including UNIX, Java, Perl and others.
The data sent from PC*MILER to the end-user is processed in the needed form – as mileage (for billing, driver pay, or fuel tax reporting), precise toll costs, route maps or as dock-to-dock street-level directions. This process is transparent to the end-user who simply sees updated PC*MILER data available in a usable format.
"Our customers asked us to help solve their cross-platform problems," said Kara Jo Witkowski, senior product manager, business solutions for ALK Technologies. "PC*MILER Web Services is our response. This universally compatible interfacing application helps to facilitate the sharing of PC*MILER data from a secure enterprise-ready data center hosting the functionality of PC*MILER."
"It provides the tools to build whatever systems you want to easily populate an application with the necessary operational data and features needed," added Witkowski. "PC*MILER Web Services enables different applications from different sources to communicate, eliminating time-consuming and costly custom programming."
Access is provided to PC*MILER Web Services through four feature option levels, giving users the flexibility to gain access to the features of choice – Lite, Standard, Premium and Enterprise. The Lite option offers core PC*MILER functionality. The other three full-featured levels provide additional capabilities; for example, street-level routing, truck-specific toll costs and mapping.
In addition to motor carriers, PC*MILER Web Services provides profit-driving benefits for shippers and third-party logistics companies. Since all features can be accessed from anywhere via any platform and configuration, customers continually benefit from PC*MILER functionality even when upgrading or changing their IT infrastructure.
In addition, companies with specific versions of PC*MILER tied to customer contracts can continue to fulfill those contracts using updated data from PC*MILER Web Services.
