News
ICT in the Business of Transport
22 July 2010
Location-based services and personal tracking is also a trend
Tracking vehicles in a fleet via GPS has become ubiquitous. Logistics companies are able to pinpoint exact locations of vehicles in real time, not only for security purposes, but also for roadside services, efficiency, as well as offence management. The full audit trail offers huge benefits for corporates.
Technology is being used by fleet companies to track the odometer reading reported by on-board computers to bill their customers on a pay-as-you-go or per-kilometre basis, ensuring fairness and objectivity.
There are specialist applications where customers in the cold chain, for example, are able to measure temperatures in real time. In the broader logistics industry, the application of ICT systems allows companies to safeguard vehicles and drivers, improve customer communication and fuel economy, lower maintenance costs, tighten regulatory compliance, increase asset utilisation and reduce their carbon footprint.
Local company MiX Telematics has pioneered the leveraging of the technology platform onto mobile devices. MiX Mobile is available for the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices.
It’s the first telematics company globally to enter the mobile app market, and “with its existing installed base of over 500 000 fleet management and vehicle tracking units worldwide”, this was the next logical step.
The applications allow users to find vehicles and “determine whether they are moving, at what speed and their exact location”. Users also have the ability to track a vehicle directly via text messages.
Using built-in GPS, users are able to determine the phone’s position relative to a specific vehicle.
“Historical information is available in trip reports that display the total mileage a vehicle has driven within the past 48 hours. Trips are plotted on a map in order to view an entire route, or just start and end points,” the company says.
Mobile operator SK Telecom launched its mobile telematics service, Mobile in Vehicle (MIV), last year. This service enables remote control of vehicles via mobile phones.
SK Telecom sees services in four areas: vehicle diagnosis and control, safety and security, route guidance, and entertainment services.
While mobile applications are a strong trend, Charles Tasker, MD of MiX Telematics, sees a number of other themes becoming prominent in 2010.
The reduction of carbon emissions is critical, he says. Fleet owners will use technology in order to have a clear understanding of the carbon footprint of their vehicles, in order to reduce it.
Location-based services (LBS) and personal tracking is another important trend, he adds, and is being driven by the adoption of the technology in the consumer space.
Tasker also sees a trend towards the substitution of “traditional” on-board computers by “fancy mobile devices that can communicate with vehicles as effectively”.
And, he sees more sophisticated, faster applications which put more control in the hands of users. Tasker believes this will be a key differentiator between telematics services.
The experience during the downturn in 2008 and 2009 meant that fleet owners were forced to increase their focus on the efficient management of their vehicles.
Tasker expects this trend to continue: “The efficient usage of existing fleets is driven by cost savings that can be achieved through the implementation of intelligent telematics, vehicle tracking and fleet management solutions.”
