Chapter 6 - Minicase 1

Hertz Goes Wireless

In preparation for answering the questions, review the Hertz Rent-a-Car web site.

  1. Which of these transactions are intra-business in nature?

    Quick rentals, instant returns, and the additional customer services are examples of intra-business transactions because they are additional services offered from within the Hertz company.

  2. Identify any finance and marketing oriented applications.

    Finance-oriented applications would include the quick rentals, and instant returns, in-car cellular phones, NeverLost Onboard, and additional customer services offered by Hertz are all examples of Marketing-oriented applications.

  3. What are the benefits to Hertz of knowing exactly where each of its cars is? As a renter, how do you feel about this capability?

    There are various benefits to knowing exactly where each car is. If a car was due back on a certain day, didn’t return, and was scheduled to be picked up by another customer, Hertz would be able to find the location of the car. If an accident occurred, the system could help Hertz in dispatching emergency crews. It could also assist law enforcement agencies if a criminal had rented a car to commit a crime.

    Some renters might think it’s a little creepy that a company would be able to identify exactly where the car is and exactly how fast it was being driven. This could be considered an invasion of my privacy. However, there are definite benefits that this type of a system could bring to law enforcement, the company, and also for those people who might be taking a long trip and would like to have the security of someone knowing where they are at all times.