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The high tech van that is a CEO's dream

Ray Geroski Tech Republic

Published: 26 Apr 2002 16:22 BST

From the outside, the van looks much like any other. But the sleek, black exterior actually hides perhaps the world's most advanced mobile office. The vehicle belongs to Scott Jones, chairman, CEO, and president of Escient Technologies, LLC, who uses it to keep in touch and remain productive while he's traveling.

Jones is chairman of the Indiana Technology Partnership, and serves on various other bodies promoting technology in the state of Indiana. Whether he's traveling for business or pleasure, Jones has a very advanced mobile office--.

Such a mobile office may not be cost-effective for most companies, but it's an ingenious use of computer and communications technology to help take advantage of time that would otherwise be unproductive. Jones' solution could also be the precursor for other high-tech (and highly mobile) networking solutions, such as mobile health care clinics.

Driving force

Jones is a philanthropist and high-tech entrepreneur whose first company, Boston Technology, merged with Comverse Technologies, a company that continues to use communications technologies invented by Jones. He is credited with the invention of mass-user voice mail and holds several patents for voice mail and other technologies.

As well as Escient, and his charitable work, Jones has helped many technology companies get started, including Bostech, an Indianapolis-based e-commerce solution company. Jones is a busy man, so he and his staff developed "Digital Wheels," his high-tech van, to keep him in touch and productive while commuting between his home and Escient's head office, or while traveling to other engagements.

Cruising with Digital Wheels

Jones' mobile office is a black Chevrolet Express Extended Van with tinted windows, shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Jones' high-tech office is housed in a Chevrolet Express Extended Van.

With most vehicles, it's what's under the bonnet that impresses people. With this one, the interest is in the smorgasbord of electronics inside the back doors, that power the business conducted inside the van (Figure B).

Figure B