Megabytes

Aug. 1, 2008
Stay up to speed with new rental industry technologies and innovations.

Fleet Links

Hitachi offers construction fleet managers three ZXLink machine monitoring systems to control their fleet operations — Standard, Advanced and Ultimate. The basic ZXLink Standard level automatically collects, transmits and manages machine data, regardless of model or make, or which dealer sold the system. The data can be viewed at a single secure website and customers use the data to check operation times, track locations and set restrictions on when machines are allowed to run.

ZXLink Advanced provides all the Standard level features plus a percentage breakdown of machine-idling hours versus working hours. To immediately inform maintenance managers of impending equipment problems, Advanced also provides dashboard alerts such as low fuel-level warnings via Internet, cell phone or pager.

With ZXLink Ultimate, a maintenance manager can receive detailed information needed to extend the economic life of equipment, as well as improve productivity. Machine pressures, temperatures and speeds are captured and displayed in an understandable format that can be downloaded onto a spreadsheet for further analysis.

New Look, New Shopping Experience

The new Ditch Witch website (www.ditchwitch.com) features an updated look as well as interactive walk-arounds of the company's Zahn family of equipment. This allows the user to configure a unit to his or her specifications and see the key features and details of its assembly. The site also has detailed equipment specifications, easier ways to match up compatible machines and attachments, and extensive photography of all products. The site's functionality and appearance were also overhauled. Detailed job-related stories, operator's manuals, material safety data sheets, training and safety videos, downloadable product literature and finance offers are all available on the site.

Ditch Witch also offers a wide variety of merchandise bearing the Ditch Witch logo at the company's online store, www.dwoutfitters.com. Customers can order caps, t-shirts, dress shirts, women's clothing, coats, jackets and miscellaneous items such as coffee cups, key chains, pocket knives, pens, pencils, work gloves and the Super Witch V — a die-cast 1:25 scale model of the mega-trencher.

Online Orders

Genie Industries launches a new online parts ordering system designed to increase ordering accuracy and customer's productivity. Used in conjunction with Genie's Serial Number Smart Parts Lookup System, which was launched earlier this year, customers will now be able to identify a part, add it to the virtual pick list, then roll the pick list directly into an online order. Genie customers with a registered account can access the system, look up and order parts for various Genie products that currently include telescoping and articulating booms, scissorlifts, portable personal lifts, material lifts, telehandlers, as well as Terex light towers and generators.

Submit new technology, computer products and websites for consideration in Megabytes to Katie Eagan Ernzen at [email protected].