Ford to Offer Wireless Mobile Offices Inside Pickups

At the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas, Ford Motor Co. unveiled its latest F-250 Super Duty pickup truck design, and it’s not just for cowboys and good old boys anymore. Corporate executive types might be interested in checking out the new wireless mobile office design, which features a wireless-equipped computer, printer, and global positioning system. Ford spokesman Alan Hall said that the mobile office options are targeted to an audience of building contractors and other pickup truck drivers who do business on the road. Additional options including a digital camera and a credit card scanner will also be available. Hall said that about 60% of the people who buy Ford’s F-series trucks use their vehicles for business.

The annual Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas isn’t open to the public, but news of the surprises and exciting designs in the show are released to the public through various media outlets. The show regularly features innovative souped-up vehicles and the latest in cutting-edge aftermarket trends and components, all for the perusal of an estimated 100,000 automotive industry insiders.

Ford anticipates having the mobile office available for consumers to purchase as a dealer-installed accessory package. The system uses a flat Stargate Mobile computer, mounted on a stand between the seats and powered by the truck’s battery. The computer stays connected to the Internet at all times using a broadband wireless cellular card. Its touch screen option eliminates the need for a mouse or keyboard. The computer can be removed from its stand and taken out of the truck for use in an office or a work site.

According to Patty Dilger, director of North American automotive and industrial equipment for Microsoft Corp., "It’s super rugged. You can drop it in the dirt, pick it up, brush it off, and you’re good to go." Microsoft worked in partnership with Ford to develop the mobile office, which uses the Windows XP Professional operating system. Dilger said this is the first time Windows XP has been available as a dealer-installed option in a vehicle. Microsoft already has an operating system called Windows Automotive that is currently available in about 18 different models of vehicles.

But while the Windows Automotive system is mainly used for communication systems such as real-time traffic updates, the mobile office system provides consumers with much, much more. The computer in the Ford pickups will be equipped with traditional office software, including PowerPoint, MS Word, and Excel, and it can also play music or be used for navigation. Ford hopes to have the mobile office available as an option as early as 2006.