SYSTEM SETUP OPTIONS

Innovative Enterprise Software® currently runs in trucking companies with between fewer than 10 trucks and more than 10,000. Each carrier has different needs and abilities, based in part on the size of their organization. As the company grows, so too do those needs and abilities.

In order to meet the goals of such a broad range of carriers, Innovative developed a software solution that was scalable and accessible.

Scalability

Scalability means that a system can grow, or scale up, as the needs and size of the fleet grow.

A scalable system works well for a carrier with a few trucks and employees while it also has the capacity and tools to expertly handle the needs of carriers with thousands of trucks. It means that as carriers add trucks, trailers, staff and customers, the system can grow with them. Additional tools needed by the growing company remain available and up to date so that when a truckload carrier is ready for them, the tools are waiting.

This means that:

• Carriers are able to make offers on EDI required bids with the confidence that their trucking software can handle it.
• Carriers wanting to broaden their fuel strategy know that fuel management tools with the capacity for multiple fuel cards, fuel tax and fuel surcharges are available.
• Carriers can add owner operators knowing that the IES® settlement programs are ready and waiting.

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Accessibility Options

Accessibility Options recognize that carriers of different sizes have different hardware and staffing capacities. These options are designed to make the system accessible regardless of the carrier's size.

In the beginning, Innovative Enterprise Software was designed to offer large carriers the exceptional power of IBM's mid-range servers. Large carriers had the IT staff, capacity and desire to handle the ownership and maintenance of the broad server package. Innovative's IES Host system was and still is their option of choice.

This trucking software system though, despite its benefit to all fleets, was beyond the reach of the small to mid size carriers. To meet the needs of this growing group of companies, Innovative designed a method for carriers to access IES on Innovative's own servers via the Internet simply using a PC and Internet connection. The IES Access® and IES Access Plus® systems were born.

It is because of this diversity of options that customers of all sizes can access the industry's leading enterprise software through Host Based and Internet Based ASP systems.

Where do you fit?

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Host Based

Host Based means that the hardware required to use the system is located onsite at the trucking company and owed by the carrier. Innovative's trucking software is then housed on these corporate servers. Typically, this is the option of carriers looking for the complete control and management of their system. For larger companies looking for an in-house, enterprise management system, hosting IES on the IBM System i™ is the most effective solution on today's market.

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IES Access and IES Access Plus

IES Access and IES Access Plus are Internet based versions of the robust IES software available in house to our host customers. With Access systems, the Innovative trucking software is housed on Innovative's own server located in a secure, temperature controlled environment in Nashville. The same level of server in St. Louis is used to back up the primary server in Nashville. Users, via their own PCs and the Internet, then access this hardware and their IES system directly.

Just like Host customers, Access customers can have multiple users working at one time and have access to the broad range of tools within the IES system. The difference lies in that Innovative staff handles all system upgrades, hardware maintenance and backups for Access Customers.

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Where do you fit?

Based on our experience in the industry and our work with supplying our Innovative Enterprise Software to such a broad range of customers, we typically find the best fit for our software versions within the chart below. Of course, every company is unique so we recommend contacting us before making any decision.

Access	Access Plus	Host Based	Carrier Size
			Less then 50 Trucks
			50 to 250 Trucks
			250 to 600 Trucks
			Over 600 Trucks

• If you run less than 50 Trucks, Access should be your best fit.
• If you run 50 to 250 Trucks, Access Plus should be your best fit.
• If you run 250 to 600 Trucks, either Access Plus or Host Based Solutions will work well.
• If you run over 600 Trucks, a Host Based Solution should be your best fit.

If you are looking for more information on the capabilities and statistics surrounding Innovative's Host and Internet based trucking software systems, please visit our Feb 2006 article that discusses the 5,000^th truck dispatched via Innovative's IES Access and IES Access Plus software. Regardless of your carrier's size, Innovative has the tools to meet your needs.

For information on Innovative software and services, please contact us today.

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