BlackBerry Radar is finally beginning to make some traction in the transportation industry. Announced today, BlackBerry and Caravan Group have agreed to a contract where BlackBerry will install 500 units on trailers. Unfortunately, the companies did not release how much the deal is worth. However, Caravan had this as part of their statement:
"Running a fleet of 'Smart Trailers' has been a vision of ours for a while, but it wasn't until we met with BlackBerry did we think it could come to fruition," said John Iwaniura, president, of the Caravan Group of Companies. "We have been in the transportation industry for a long time and have yet to see any solution as comprehensive, compact, easy to use and useful as BlackBerry Radar."
This signing if obviously a good one for the companies but in the grand picture is just the start for BlackBerry. If people believe that the company will immediately break into the logistics and transportation industry with their new device, they need to educate themselves. There are a number of well-established companies such as Orbcomm Inc. and Fleetmatics Group Plc. BlackBerry will have just as much trouble with this market as their hand-held device market. But if they can make it work and bring something new to the table which is not offered by their new competition then this trillion-dollar industry is ready to provide some much needed revenue.
