Dolphin Mobile Computers Help Avis Cars to Return Safely in Brazil
02 July 2006
The system ensures the 'Rapid Return' of hire cars from almost any location via GSM/GPRS.
In recent years, handheld mobile computers have become more and more versatile - particularly with the possibilities that have opened up due to the arrival of wireless technology. Avis Rent a Car is one company that has taken good advantage of such developments. The company has recently bought a series of Dolphin® 9500 mobile computers, developed and supplied by Hand Held Products. The new devices are being used at the core of Avis's 'Rapid Return' system for its hire cars in Brazil.
Avis Rent a Car and its subsidiaries represent the world's second largest general-use car rental business. It provides a wide range of services from more than 1,700 locations in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Latin American / Caribbean region. It also has marketing agreements with Avis Europe plc, a separately owned UK-based company which has 3,050 Avis locations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
One of Avis's prime types of rental outlets is its offices at airports throughout the world. In Brazil, Avis has developed a 'Rapid Return' system that enables its employees to complete car return details from almost any location - at the customer's site, in a hotel or at an airport.
One of the keys to the success of this system is a versatile mobile computer - the Dolphin 9500. This is one of the latest models from Hand Held Products, the world's leading supplier of image-based data collection systems. The Dolphin 9500 is crammed with sophisticated technology, including an industry-leading, triple wireless radio design, which allows real-time data collection. It is also equipped with the latest GSM/GPRS technology, which enables users to collect and transmit data over the cellular telephone network, and is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® enabled.
To date, Avis has installed the new Dolphins at its outlets at four major airports within Brazil. These include Congonhas and Guarulhos airports in Sao Paulo, and Galeão and Santos Dumont in Rio de Janeiro. During the next year, the service will be extended further still, until it covers all of the company's main branches throughout the country.
Avis employees use the Dolphins for the various functions needed when a customer returns a car. The Dolphin's Wi-Fi capabilities enable the employee to access the client's contract information directly from Avis's servers. However, in some cases, the return garages are in areas where it isn't always possible to access the Wi-Fi infrastructure.
Everaldo Reyes, Account Executive for Hand Held Products, says "In these cases, Avis uses the Dolphin 9500's GSM technology. This is possible due to the terminal's versatile communication features, which allow it to work with more than two different systems."
