By Colby Horton
Shop Site of the Month
Motorcar Alternatives - Hookset, N.H.
www.motorcar-alt.com
This site's innovative navigation system and state-of-the-art graphics make it fun to visit. A thorough service menu and customer testimonials provide visitors with an abundance of information. The integration of an online appointment scheduler and a preferred customer e-mail list keep this site on the cutting edge of technology.
Web Wise
High-Speed Internet Access:
What Type Is Right For Your Shop?
To keep technicians abreast of the automotive industry's changing technologies, you may consider incorporating the Internet into your shop's operations. However, waiting for access through a standard dial-up connection might cut back on valuable technician time. The solution to the problem is high-speed Internet access. But with so many options available, how do you know which is right for your shop?
There are four options available to people looking for high-speed Internet access: cable, digital subscriber lines (DSL), satellite and fixed wireless. Cable seems to be the most popular option. More than 45 percent of U.S. homes and businesses have access to cable Internet service. Costing an average of $40 per month, cable Internet service allows content to stream through the same pipeline that provides your cable TV signal. This service works using Ethernet technology, which means you share your bandwidth with everyone in your segment. The more people in your neighborhood using cable Internet service, the slower the connection may become. However, the cost, availability and quick installation of cable service often outweighs the negative.
Your next alternative is DSL. One key advantage of DSL is you don't have to share a line with other subscribers. Like cable access, DSL allows a constant connection to the Internet. But, unlike cable, your connection speed is not affected by outside entities. DSL seems to be geared toward small businesses, allowing them to choose a pricing option that best fits the business' needs. You can choose a pricing package based on the amount of bandwidth you might use. One downfall of DSL is geographic location. Although DSL has become more available in different areas, only one-third of U.S. households and businesses have access to DSL. To see if your business is in a DSL-compatible area, visit DSL Reports (www.dslreports.com).
Both cable and DSL have been around for a few years. However, two other options are emerging. As part of our annual technology issue, AutoInc. will review these new innovations in high-speed Internet access in next month's Net Worth column.
Net Numbers
By 2006, 41 percent of online U.S. households will access the Internet through the broadband pipeline.
Jupiter Media Metrix
ASA Web Ways
State Legislation
Each week, summaries of state legislative and regulatory issues for mechanical and collision repair are updated in the Members' Only area of the Automotive Service Association Web site (www.asashop.org). Content for the summary is provided by the ASA Washington, D.C., staff, which regularly monitors state and federal legislative issues and regulations on behalf of ASA members and the industry. The legislative sections provide information on bills being considered by the various state legislatures that affect the automotive industry. In addition, the regulatory sections include information about current state regulatory hearings and proposed regulations that have a direct impact on automotive service businesses. This provides ASA members a better opportunity to comment and participate in their state's regulatory proceedings. To access the Members' Only area, type your six-digit ASA member number into both the name and password fields when prompted.
