Digital Wheels

Elvis Presley flew on a tour jet called the Lisa Marie, which was fully loaded with entertainment amenities including a pool table to occupy his touring musicians. Football commentator John Madden travels the country in his Madden Cruiser, a luxury bus stocked with tailgate-party goodies and a satellite dish to catch all the NFL action. But neither of them has anything over Scott A. Jones, who makes road trips in his brainchild, Digital Wheels, perhaps the world’s most high-tech mobile office and entertainment center.

When you are an inventor, community leader, philanthropist and entrepreneur, every minute of your day is valuable. Scott needs to be plugged in at all times, even during road trips.

Scott and his staff devised a plan to make his commuting time as productive as possible with the creation of Digital Wheels, a fully loaded Chevrolet Express Extended Van, equipped and wired with every imaginable high-tech business accoutrement including a conference table, the latest in multi-media computer equipment, and a cellular connection to the Internet. The mobile marvel is the envy of both the road and the information superhighway.

Take for example, Digital Wheels’ incredible onboard Windows 2000 Server with mobile wireless Internet access. This unprecedented customized feature allows Scott to conduct research or surf the web while traveling. And thanks to the ultra shock absorbent suspension and months of testing, he never loses connectivity, even when hitting the meanest potholes Indianapolis has to offer.

When he feels like simply relaxing on the ride home after a strenuous day, Scott can comfortably kick back in the customized plush leather seats and call up his favorite tunes from a touch screen where he can access more than 300 hours of cataloged music, stored on hard discs in MP3 digital format.

The exterior of this elegant onyx black van with dark tinted windows appears somewhat stealth-like and non-descript. Although there is no fancy writing or self-promoting title across the side of the van, the mind-blowing technology housed inside is like nothing else on the road.

It took six months to plan this high-tech vehicle and have it customized. Now that it has become part of his daily routine, he calls it "the single most productive addition to our operations." On board, Scott carries on as though he were in one of his stationary offices by communicating by e-mail or phone, holding meetings and conference calls, and viewing presentations with up to eight of his staff members and/or some of the industry or government movers and shakers.

One of the initial main reasons for getting the van was to allow these movers and shakers and Scott, as chairman of the Indiana Technology Partnership and related organizations, to stay productive while traveling Indiana to build coalitions and promote initiatives that will help establish Indiana as a nationally recognized leader in technology.

Aside from serving as a plush mobile office for one of the world’s most innovative minds, Digital Wheels does, on occasion, double as a high-tech family recreational vehicle. While en route, Scott and his three sons do, at times, use this traveling marvel as their personal video game arcade or drive-in movie theater, without having to even look out the windows.

SAFETY FIRST
Although loaded with the most sophisticated onboard technology and gadgetry, Digital Wheels and its inventor, Scott, in no way advocates distracted driving. Digital Wheels is always operated by a responsible and professional driver whose sole responsibility is to transport the passengers to their destination. The LCD screen and extra features near the driver's seat are only used for conference purposes when the vehicle is stationary. The presence of a professional driver enables Scott and his staff to utilize the onboard technology in the safest possible manner.

Here are some of the van's features:

  • An onboard Windows 2000 Server with mobile wireless Internet access (while moving).
  • A wireless LAN (local area network) within the van that can be used to access the Internet and the web through the van's computer system.
  • An onboard color laser printer.
  • A touch-screen system that controls all onboard audio/video devices.
  • Three LCD screens strategically placed throughout the van so that every person in a seat has a view of a screen, even the driver.
  • A voice-activated-and-controlled Global Positioning System (GPS) for the driver.
  • Home-theater-quality sound for movies and MP3 playback.
  • A VCR and a DVD player with the latest available movies.
  • TV reception on the go.
  • A rear-mounted radio/CD head unit, so that the driver and rear passengers can listen to different music.
  • A hands-free PCS (personal communications services or wireless network) phone system for the driver and passengers.
  • Hundreds of hours of MP3 digital music stored on hard discs.
  • Three onboard telephones for Scott and his staff to conduct separate conversations simultaneously.

Even with all of its remarkable features, Digital Wheels is constantly being updated with the latest technologies in order for the van to stay on the cutting edge of mobile offices.