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and retrofi t installations of some ex- isting engines by late 2014. Our vi- sion is not to replace gpLink, but to offer multiple solutions allowing our customers to determine the best fi t for their individual application.” SERVING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY It’s important to note that the initial monitor solution was primarily a data collector, but the next version will be so much more – covering all kinds of equipment, providing not only data but also technical advice. Actually, the new remote monitoring solution is a part of a larger initiative at Caterpil- lar. This means that Cat can help meet the remote monitoring needs for more than just its own marine engines. Mc- Intosh says, “Many of our customers are more than just Caterpillar Marine customers and have other CAT engines or equipment. Additionally, it is critical for Caterpillar to respect that most of our customers own and operate mixed fl eets. The challenge we see many man- ufacturers needing to address today is how to manage the data from multiple brands of equipment. We are work- ing hard to address these concerns so that our 2014 product offering in the remote monitoring space is capable of meeting the needs of the entire fl eet, not just the Cat powered fl eet.” The original gpLink units were op- tional with an eye towards someday making the system a standard feature for all CAT engines. In the future, a remote monitoring ‘ready’ feature which would eventually be available on most Cat and MaK marine engines will be available. This same technology will include multiple levels of solution suites. Hence, some engines would come with most or all the equipment needed to connect to gpLink service right at the point of delivery. In some cases, additional equipment may need www.marinelink.com MN 51 MN May14 Layout 50-65.indd 51 4/21/2014 10:25:33 AM
