Field Service IT News For VARs 2-11-15: 3PL Market's Growth Linked To Tech Advances

By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer

In the news, SaaS’ impact on third-party logistics (3PL), net neutrality could play a part in the supply chain market, and the effects the cloud is expected to have on the field service industry.

Technology Is Linked to 3PL Growth

The Truckinginfo article “3PLs Today and Tomorrow” discusses the changing 3PL market, particularly consolidation of smaller companies with bigger players. According to the article, SaaS technology has broken down the barrier to entry into the 3PL market and, often, the software 3PLs use is more advanced than transportation management systems used by shippers.

Net Neutrality And The Supply Chain

An article from Supply & Demand Chain Executive explores the impact that net neutrality laws, or lack thereof, could have on the supply chain market. At question is the impact that the potential throttling of Internet speeds could have on the quality of the user experience in relation to the supply chain.

The Cloud’s Effect On The Field Service Industry

A Techradar article discusses how the cloud is causing a shakeup of sorts in the field service industry. Companies can expect new technologies to push field service management to an even closer relationship with cloud services. This is especially true in the field where service technicians need instant access to real-time data allowing them to complete work orders, request parts, and work with their schedule.

Field Service IT Talking Points

The Daily Herald discusses the implications of companies using their employees’ smartphone GPS to track them after work hours.

Leading global fleet service provider ARI has released its 2015 Industry Outlook report, as covered in a Field Technologies Online article. The report includes analysis of trends and their impact on Canadian fleet managers in the coming year.

One of the biggest detractors from the adoption of wearable technologies, such as smart watches, is the affect of GPS on device battery life. A Business Insider article goes into more detail on this issue.

For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Field Service Tech Center.