February 21, 2008 11:52 AM CST

Caterpillar Tracking, Management Systems to be Standard

Equipment to be standard on U.S., Canadian machines in 2008

By Caterpillar, Inc.

Caterpillar will equip most of its new core, mining and industrial machines with EquipmentManager and Product Link-the remote asset management solution developed by Caterpillar. The remote tracking and management system will be a standard feature in the United States and Canadian markets. Caterpillar has provided remote asset management capabilities as an option since 1998; now Cat will deliver these capabilities as an integral part of most core Caterpillar® machines. Product Link will be available as an option for the remaining Caterpillar machines.

Caterpillar will phase in EquipmentManager / Product Link beginning with wheeled hydraulic excavators and articulated trucks. The remaining machines will be phased in throughout 2008, arriving to dealers and customers with Product Link as standard equipment, along with a three-year subscription to Asset Watch, the remote asset management portion of EquipmentManager.

The Caterpillar EquipmentManager / Product Link is a system that provides the full depth of asset management, maintenance, and health information required by equipment managers to effectively manage their fleets.

EquipmentManager is a secure, web-based application that uses key indicators from equipment such as hours, location and diagnostic codes. Combined with powerful tools such as mapping, maintenance scheduling and troubleshooting instructions, EquipmentManager quickly sorts through machine data to identify events that require attention and delivers information in a meaningful and actionable manner.

Using satellite technology, Product Link is the hardware that enables information flow between on-board systems and the web based application, EquipmentManager. The remote management system provides machine location and hours as well as time and geo-fencing capabilities.

For more information on EquipmentManager/Product Link and Caterpillar’s standardization plans, please contact your local Caterpillar dealer.

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About the Author

Since its inception over 80 years ago, Caterpillar has grown to be the largest maker of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines in the world. For more information visit www.cat.com.