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I simply stated my concerns in that post, and there was no "threat". All I said is that if Tadd and Alex cannot prove what they are saying and writing, they could end up having greater problems in the future. In other words, HISS may take action against Tadd and Alex rather than continuing to allow them to use every avenue possible to trash HISS and the CT.
I bought a CT a couple years ago. I only used it for tracking but, as I have stated before, it works great. Shortly after I bought the CT, the battery quit charging. I sent it back to HISS and they fixed and returned it to me within a couple of days. That is the only problem that I have had with it. At one point I spoke with Tadd about adding the camera function. Interesting that at that time he went on and on about how the CT was the greatest thing ever, and there was no limit to the number of applications for the CT etc.
Either he was lying to me then, or he is lying now. Which is it?
I have followed this company for years and I well know all the pr's that led to nothing, the "potential" orders that never materialized etc. Nevertheless, I participated in the share conversion, as I thought it was the last slim hope I had of recovering any part of my investment.
You and your partner are doing a pretty effective job of squeezing the last breath out of that hope and any chance Ralston had of bringing this company back to life.
In an earlier post you referenced disgruntled HISS customers. You are putting yourself in a precarious position if you have been contacting them and disparaging HISS. You seem pretty confident that you can prove that the Riley's and Wick's were intentionally defrauding us all. If you're right, then good luck to you and I'll help you tighten the noose. But if you are just mad and seeking revenge, your current problems will seem minor compared to what you will be facing in the future.
Jason, I bought a Cybertracker in about February of 2006. I made one phone call and the cybertracker was delivered to my house in San Diego two days later.
Since hisu is the company that sells the cybertracker, maybe you should have called them.
The only wave I've caught lately is the hisu wave, and it's been going the wrong direction for a long time. Still hoping that the GSA, coupled with a few of the other orders in the works, will turn us around.
I haven't been able to get in touch with Red Cloud, but I just spoke to his Grandson who said Red Cloud is doing great. I asked the Grandson to have Red Cloud give me a call, so I'll update in more detail when I hear from him.
Ward, I tried to check on Red Cloud when you asked about him a while back. I will try and reach him again this weekend and let everyone know how he's doing. Last time I spoke with him, (months ago) he was having a rough time, but expected a full recovery.
FWIW...I spoke with Brian Riley about two months ago and asked him why they re-signed with BA.
He said that Lynx and Barwicki(sp?) could not provide the same service that BA provides. BA actively seeks and provides solid leads to hisu. Some of those leads have resulted in meetings and proposals that will lead to sales. In addition, BA has the experience to help with mergers, acquisitions and a possible future uplisting. HISU feels they are getting close to closing some fairly large orders they have been working on. BA has the resources to get the word out to the investment community, and to attract new investors. Brian went to great lengths to convince me that BA is in HISU's corner and wants to see HISU succeed.
I haven't posted in quite some time, but I do own a Cybertracker. It is the IDEN version, which is the only version hisu had available at the time. A rep from ActSoft helped me, (over the phone) install the software and configure the CT. The entire training and installation process took about 30 minutes. I am not a techie or a computer geek (apologies to all computer geeks), so that part of the process is obviously pretty easy. Of course, if I had wanted to monitor engine diagnostics, or anything else of that nature, I would have required a technichian's help. I don't know if hisu sends their own technician to the customer, or if they contract the work to someone local to the customer. I do know that someone from either HISU or ActSoft was sent to help install and train the employees at Cannon Pacific when they bought their CT's. Of course, the relationship with ActSoft has changed a lot, and I don't know how the installation is handled anymore.
I only use it for basic tracking, but I have had a great experience, both with customer service and the CT itself. The software provides very detailed reports and maps. I have put the CT in the glove box of my car and the CT accurately tracked my speed, location etc. I have also put it in the trunk of my car, and it tracked accurately maybe 50% of the time. I have tracked friends driving long distances, and I have had friends track me using the webview version of the software, and it has always been accurate and dependable.
I can't afford to buy anymore CT's right now, so they need to find some more customers...and soon, or I'll have an Edsel on my hands.
Stop guessing. eom
Hey Capt, RCP said that he decided to just drop all unnecessary stress until he is healed. Of course, HISU and IHUB was on that list. Heck, I decided to take a break from it myself, and I'm feeling pretty good. He did ask about you, Ward, Skier and several of the other posters on here.
Although I think he is feeling a little worse right now than he let on, he is going to be back to his old self in a few months.
I just got off the phone with Red Cloud. He's doing okay. He's got three more months of treatment, then some aftercare for about six months and he'll be good as new.
He's been feeling pretty sick for quite a while due to the treatments, so he doesn't check IHUB very often. He isn't laid up, he just doesn't feel too great, so he's scaled back on his activities. He's funny as ever and sounds like the same old Red Cloud. He's going to be fine, he just has to go through a few more months of treatment to get there.
I agree wholeheartedly. It's not a stretch to say that information has been slow in coming or non-existent in some cases. But it's a stretch to say that there has been out and out fraud. As Monk mentioned earlier, Fred was extremely forthcoming about the state of affairs in his shareholder letters. I think it is amazing that the company was able to survive this long after the cancelled Actsoft acquisition, the Evans fiasco, and the deceit of Frank Moody. The company has been body slammed time and again and somehow not been counted out. A shareholder lawsuit would seal the deal though.
There is no question that communication from the company to shareholders has been absolutely awful. I also believe that the communication problem is as much responsible for this lawsuit talk as any supposed fraud by the company. Hopefully we will see another shareholder letter, or some other communication that will put things back into perspective.
IMO the biggest obstacle the company is facing, (aside from lack of cash, which is obviously the root of this current situation) is that they need sales and they have no sales force. The CEO, the inventor and his Dad are trying to modify and improve the product, run the company, do the accounting, answer the phones, read endless shareholder complaint e-mails, deal with the fallout from Moody (more lawsuits) as well as being the sales force.
I know it's a slim hope, but I'm hoping for a miracle.
The CyberTracker exists. I have owned one since about April of 2006. I had an issue with it not charging properly early on, but hisc (hisu) resolved the problem immediately and it has worked flawlessly ever since. I use it just for tracking, and I don't have any of the add-on features that make the CT unique. It is impressive nonetheless. The internal antenna works great. I have put the CT in my glovebox and it tracks without losing a signal. I have also tossed it in the trunk of my car and it picks up the satellite and tracks about 50-75% of the time. I have had some people on this board track my movements using the webview version of the software. It does not have as many features and is not as detailed, but it has also worked flawlessly.
When I purchased the CT, a rep from ActSoft helped me download the software over the phone and I had it up and running in no time. The software is very user friendly. I have loaned it to friends to track their college age children when they are driving long distances. The CT not only gives you the speed and location in real time, but there are a variety of reports that you can access. The User Activity Report allows you to pick any given day and see where a vehicle was at all times during the day and how fast it was traveling, how long it stopped and where it stopped etc.
I wrote about this months ago, but I sat with the dispatcher at the street sweeping company that uses the CT in San Diego. They have CT's on all their trucks and they use the CT not only to track, but also to keep track of employee hours and to keep a log of where the sweepers were actually in use (Brooms up or down). They had a truck stolen one night and became aware of it when the dispatcher noticed that one of their trucks was showing up on the report at an Indian Reservation many miles from their office. They called the police and sure enough, the police found the truck in a ditch right where the map had shown it to be.
I can vouch for the CT being real, and it works as advertised.
Having said all that, I believe that Moody put hisu in this hole and they are trying to dig out. Fred inherited a company that had been raped by Moody to the point that they couldn't stock any inventory, couldn't afford to hire salespeople and could barely keep the lights on. Not to mention dealing with lawsuits and trying to clean up the accounting mess. No question that mistakes have been made since Moody left, but I don't believe in any way that Fred compares to Moody. Also, the blatantly false PR's were put out during Moody's tenure. I think Fred, Brian and Ian are trying to turn this around, but when no large orders came through, the R/S became necessary. I sure would have preferred sales and a buyback. However, it's tough to make large sales if you have no funds for salespeople, travel, advertising etc. Like most of you, I have lost a ton on this stock, but I believe they might be able to turn it around, and I believe they are working towards that goal. Of course, I could be wrong and this is all in my humble opinion.
I don't check the board on a regular basis anymore, (it gives me a headache, backache, stomachache, and makes me feel queasy) so if anybody replies to this message I may be slow in getting back to you.
Article in the San Diego Union Tribune discussing the contract referenced in Minddoc's post. It looks like Qualcomm is already set up to be awarded the contract. Maybe they haven't heard of the CyberTracker. Anybody want to call the spokeswoman (Melissa Mazzella DeLaney) and fill her in?
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070928-9999-1b28trucks.html
Chip maker has favored satellite system to monitor cross-border trucks
By Paul M. Krawzak
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
September 28, 2007
Union-Tribune
WASHINGTON – U.S. and Mexican transportation officials are planning to use a satellite-based vehicle tracking system from Qualcomm to keep an eye on commercial carriers from both countries participating in a cross-border trucking experiment.
San Diego-based Qualcomm is favored to get the contract for the project, because the chip-making giant is viewed as the only company that can provide the needed services, U.S. transportation officials said yesterday.
The officials said other firms that believe they can meet the project requirements have until Oct. 12 to contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Qualcomm did not return phone calls yesterday seeking information on the tracking system. Its Omnitracs system uses cellular technology to track mostly long-haul tractor-trailers.
U.S. government officials said every truck participating in the controversial pilot project will be tracked through in-vehicle transponders linked to a global positioning system that will monitor the transit of Mexican trucks through the United States and U.S. trucks through Mexico.
The system could be up and running within weeks after a contract is signed next month, said Melissa Mazzella DeLaney, spokeswoman for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
“This will give us the ability to monitor every vehicle from Mexico and ensure all companies are following our strict safety requirements,” FMCSA Administrator John Hill said in a statement.
The one-year program to test the safety and effectiveness of cross-border trucking, which began earlier this month, allows preapproved U.S. and Mexican trucks to travel freely beyond the border zone in each country.
AdvertisementOpponents of the program, including the Teamsters and several trucking and safety organizations, contend Mexican trucking companies do not meet U.S. safety standards for equipment and drivers and will take jobs away from Americans.
Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association, an opponent of the program, called the tracking system a sham.
“We kind of liken it to putting hoop earrings on a pig,” he said.
Spencer said tracking vehicles would not reveal whether they were following U.S. regulations or operating safely.
Transportation officials said the system would be able to accurately determine a vehicle's position and monitor whether drivers were complying with driving time limits and other rules.
The FMCSA plans to award a one-year contract to Qualcomm to provide satellite terminals to relay the location, mileage and other trip details to an operations center, DeLaney said.
DeLaney declined to estimate the cost of the system while contract negotiations were under way. But she said the transportation agency would be able to cancel the contract should the U.S. Congress follow through with threats to shut off funding for the pilot project.
Wayne,
Thanks. Yes, I was thinking of something like that, and a list of various features that would be most likely to grab a variety of customers attention.
Surfer
Dang, If you're up this late, I'll bet your fingers are twitchin'. Well, at least wait for me to catch a plane out there. I might as well join you.
"The one device that can do it all
The CyberTracker"
Or...."Only one device can do it all...The CyberTracker"
Underneath this have a column of applications/features of the cybertracker listed in smaller print with arrows pointing up from each towards the cybertracker name. I don't know much about graphic design or advertising (and it probably shows), but maybe a picture of the CT with the slogan above it and the list of features below it.
Also,device probably isn't the best word to use, but this is just another idea to be refined if anybody is interested.
Don't do it skier! It's not worth it! (Hire somebody else to do it)
RCP, Very good to hear from you again. I'm sorry to hear that you have to fight this battle. But it is a battle you can and will win.
Hang in there and get better real soon.
Surfer
Make that two of us who would like to know. It's probably keeping Leo up at night, but he doesn't want to talk about it here.
We were all hoping for a better second quarter. I think that Note 4 gives us some insight into what is slowing this company down. The product is great, but it seems clear to me that the company has been hamstrung by dealing with the Moody mess. HISC has to resolve that situation, and soon, before it move forward the way we all hope it will.
The CT has an on and off button, so if you buy one for personal use, you can turn it off if you don't want to be located.
ActSoft's software must be installed on a computer in order to utilize all the applications that the CT offers. However, there is a webview option that can be accessed from any computer with internet access. This option allows you to see current location and historical data. You simply need to go to the webview website and log on with a user name and password.
Press Release!
I stopped by to see my friends at Cannon Pacific (the street sweeping company), yesterday. They said the CT has continued to operate flawlessly. I sat with the dispatcher for a while and she showed me how she uses the CT and the Comet Tracker software to schedule and keep track of their trucks. It's interesting to see the software in action. They had about 15 trucks out at the time and you could see a list that showed (among other things) the location of each truck, the direction it was traveling and speed in real time. She also showed me how (using the history function) she could pull up a map showing all that information for any time frame selected from the past.
They had a truck stolen a couple of months ago and discovered it when the dispatcher came in one morning and noticed that one of their trucks was about 20 miles away. The thief had abandoned it, and Cannon Pacific had no problem retrieving it using the CT.
I've been away from the board a while. I hope everybody is doing well. I've been catching up on the posts and it's been cracking me up. We always have someone "new" who is writing some inane B.S. over and over. This just my opinion
Thanks Skier, and I agree that we need just that one big break. I really think we will get it, but it better come soon. Remember I also spoke with ActSoft sales and they told me that they had no trouble selling the CT and in fact were selling CT's on a weekly basis (although no large orders yet). It may not happen as quickly as we would like, but since we finally got BA/FM out of the picture I think we will start seeing a turnaround.
I stopped by Lynx Consulting yesterday and visited with Mike Sobeck. He pretty much confirmed what people have been posting here lately. HISC is busting their behinds to get sales. Mike said Fred is rarely at the office because he's constantly on the road working on sales.
Mike has stressed to Fred the need to issue PR's to the shareholders. HISC realizes that the long term success of the company is dependent on sales, and HISC needs to increase sales now, not later. Because of that, Mike feels that Fred is more focused on sales than he is on the short term PPS. I take that as a good sign because it is further confirmation that Fred is not focused (like Moody/BA) on pumping and dumping, he is working hard to make the company a success over the long term.
I know everybody has talked about this endlessly, but the overall impression I got from my visit is that the time and money expended on the BA/FM fiasco put HISC in a hole. HISC is battling to get out of that hole, and the only way out is increasing sales.
One other note just for clarification. There are two Mike's working at Lynx. Although Mike Sobeck answers some investors calls, there is another Mike who works the phones answering investor questions. They both have the same information, so although you may think you have spoken with Mike Sobeck, there is a good chance you spoke with the other Mike in IR at Lynx.
HISC isn't selling product? Huh? Yes they are selling the product, and the customers I've spoken with like the product an awful lot. There is a lot of stuff we don't know, but we do know they are selling the CT.
We know HISC and ActSoft (and maybe Sprint/Nextel), are selling CT's. Obviously, the big question that still haunts all of us is; are they selling them fast enough to pay bills? If they are, then the current PPS trend can be reversed and doesn't mean a whole lot to those of us who are truly long. If HISC is still paying bills with shares, then we are, well, um...it's not good. In any event, I agree that the current pps doesn't necessarily mean anything bad has happened with the company. I think it's just a function of a long period of no news. And I believe that will change soon. Probably after the financials are released.
I do know that the sales staff at ActSoft loves the CT. I have spoken with four separate people in their sales department over the past year. Last month a sales rep told me that they are selling CT's on a weekly basis. He said that the CT is easy to sell, but they haven't had any large quantity orders yet. Of course, what we really need is the large orders, but I firmly believe that HISC will get some of those this year.
I still think we are going to see a Pig Pop (hopefully from a safe distance), one of these days. Could be wrong of course.
Lacy, You're just trying to rock the boat again, aren't you?
Having Longjumper as moderator would be a waste of his resources. He has a seat on the board of Fortune 500 companies for goodness sakes! Imagine the next board meeting of Exxon, Wal-Mart, Citigroup or any other Fortune 500 company. Our man LongJumper takes a few minutes to extol the virtues of our CyberTracker. The huge orders that follow will drive the PPS higher than any of us can imagine.
Longjumper, you are very heavily invested in HISC. You have influence at the very highest levels of corporate America. It's a no-brainer. What do say???
I gave it a shot Dirt, I nominated you. After the laughter died down, I was carried out of the room and tossed into the street. Oh well, Shirley is out here with me, so it isn't all bad.
Great choice for our new moderator. Congratulations Ward and good luck. Thanks for taking on the thankless position!
Spence did a great job. Spence brings a lot of knowledge and passion to the board and is a huge asset.
Here's a link to an article on fleet management. It was in this mornings San Diego Union Tribune.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070209/news_1b9tech.html
Let me know if the link doesn't work...I'm sure you will...LOL
Thanks, But I don't think I want the job, Who. I actually stopped by Cannon Pacific because their main office is just down the road from my house. I called Col. McCrary's because of the confusion over the Verizon issue on their website, and nobody seemed to know what that meant for the CT order.
So, although I am honored to be nominated, I must decline the position...LOL.
Ha ha, Who I hadn't thought of that. This is the second customer I have spoken with, and they are both happy with the CyberTracker, in fact both mentioned that they had plans to order more. I believe that the Cannon Pacific Street Sweeping company is talking about a small quantity, (they are not that large of a company), but Col. McCrary's could potentially be a large increase from their initial order.
I called and left a message with Colonel McCrary Trucking on Monday. They got back to me today. I don't have a lot of details, but they are using the CyberTracker and they are very happy with it. They have increased their initial order and expect a new shipment any day now. We had a bad connection, so the phone call was cut short, but at least we know that the Verizon issue that was brought up a couple of days ago doesn't appear to have affected McCrary's purchasing of CyberTrackers
One thing I don't think I mentioned. When I first began speaking with the scheduler, I asked her how she liked using the Cyber Tracker and she said "it's awesome". Based on her reaction to the CT, I'm sure they would give a nice testimonial.
I just spoke with the scheduler at Cannon Pacific, the street sweeping company in San Diego. She said that they are very happy with the Cyber Tracker and the software. They have "about" 24 trucks and each truck has one. Some CT's are hard wired and some are not, and they use the cigarette lighter adapter to power them. One of the trucks has a camera attached to the CT. They are in the process of replacing some of their older trucks and they want to check out the usefulness of the camera for their needs prior to committing to using the application on their entire fleet. She said that the primary function of the camera is to enable drivers to document with a photo and a time stamp any obstacle (generally cars) that they may encounter. They can then use the picture as evidence of the obstacle if there are complaints about an area that is not swept.
The only non standard application they use is a "brooms up, or brooms down" function that reports when the driver is sweeping. They have contracts with several cities. Often they get calls from individuals or the city complaining that a particular street has not been swept. They use the history function to be able to tell the caller precisely what day and what time they last swept the area.
During a typical day she keeps track of all the drivers using two computer screens. One with the map showing exactly where the trucks are located and what direction they are traveling, and another that lists among other things, how fast the truck is traveling, when they are sweeping, when they are stopped and for how long. They monitor lunch breaks with the CT as well.
They don't use the push to talk function. She said the CT has been very reliable and she isn't aware of any problems they've had with the CT.
Companies will buy the CT. Maybe the shareholder sales force will begin to rack up some sales.
Stox,
Call Actsoft and you can have a CT delivered the next day. You could also probably call or visit your local Nextel store and ask them to put you in touch with a local outside sales rep who would sell you a CT. Good luck.
Ward, I agree and I'm surprised that the CT hasn't grabbed someone's attention at a tech magazine yet, even if by accident. The CES would have been another great opportunity to be noticed. I know Drone is right that it would only take one decent order to more than pay for the CES, although I'm guessing that the cost of renting, setting up, and staffing a booth is closer to 60K than the 30K it cost to just rent the space.
Sure would like to see that first big order. We've been waiting an awful long time.
I agree that it would have been nice to have a booth at the CES, but it may not be the best venue (especially considering the cost) for the CyberTracker. If HISC is to be successful it will likely be through sales to governments, school districts, trucking companies, law enforcement/security etc. I doubt that any of those groups have representatives at the CES. Skier brought up the The FMI-LEG (Fleet Management Institute and Law Enforcement Group) Conference on May 5-8. I think that would be a much better conference for HISC to attend, and it would no doubt cost less.
As much as I would like individual consumers to buy the CT, I believe that sales to individuals is a low priority market and will always be a small percentage of CT sales. I could be wrong, of course!
Per Lynx Consulting, HISC will not have a booth at the CES. The size of booth that HISC was considering runs about 30K, and if you add on the set-up, marketing materials, video etc. it would be a very expensive four days in Vegas. They will be sending representatives to the CES to network. They may be successful with that strategy, as I'm sure they will target potential customers for the CT and approach them rather than waiting for customers to come to them. We'll see.
I went to the CES last year and hung around the HISC booth for a while. While I was there, there were several people who came up to the booth and seemed very excited about the CT. One guy even seemed ready to place an order. In the end, I don't think they got even one order from the CES. I'm sure it's great to have a presence there, but I wonder if there isn't a lot more sizing up the competition and social networking going on then actual orders coming out of it.