Category: Transportation

u-blox unveils untethered dead-reckoning receiver for vehicles

u-blox’s has revealed its latest receiver, the miniature Untethered Dead Reckoning (UDR) EVA-M8E.

Measuring 7 millimeters by 7 millimeters, the EVA-M8E is designed to provide positioning for small-sized vehicle trackers. It provides untethered dead-reckoning performance without any electrical connection to the vehicle, using low-cost inertial sensors.

The EVA-M8E offers continuous positioning even before GNSS signals have been received, improves accuracy when GNSS signals are weak, and enables continuous low-latency positioning at 20 hertz to track highly dynamic events, the company said.

The EVA-M8E enables maximum flexibility in end-product design, requiring only a direct connection with the micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) inertial sensor and SQI Flash memory. It adapts automatically to installations anywhere within a vehicle. It supports very low stand-by current consumption.

UDR with adaptive signal strength compensation helps reduce the effects of small antenna and poor installations, which means the EVA-M8E can support extremely small after-market road-vehicle applications such as usage-based insurance and theft alarms.

Along with all u-blox M8 receivers, the EVA-M8E supports GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS constellations. It further provides superior positioning accuracy in urban canyons, tunnels and parking garages.

“The EVA-M8E enables innovative products and services for high-volume after-market telematics,” said Andrew Miles, product manager of dead reckoning at u-blox. “It also complements the main highlight of the NEO-M8U UDR module, which is ease-of-use.”

The C93-M8E enables immediate evaluation of the u-blox’s Untethered Dead Reckoning technology in most vehicle applications.

EVA-M8E samples and the C93-M8E are available now. The modules will be in full production in the fourth quarter of 2016.

June 23, 2016
Webinar probes future road: V2X communication, positioning and safety

Details of this Thursday’s Connected Car webinar emerged as speakers gathered today to share their presentation materials. (You can join this free webinar here.) A key concept is that no single technology can provide the required position accuracy in all environments. A combination of core GNSS technologies is needed: SSR-RTK with correction data (satellite and LTE), multi-GNSS for large number of measurements, Multi-band reception for minimal convergence time and 3D automotive dead reckoning.

The webinar is sponsored by u-blox.

Speakers from Renesas Electronics, Toyota InfoTechnology, u-blox and Denso will present technical material of interest to engineers and system integrators as well as product managers, strategic planners and executives.

The topics covered in the webinar include:

• Recent developments in – and the potential safety impact of – V2X technology, by Chaminda Basnyake, Renesas Electronics

Driver and Pedestrian intent are both expressed Over-the-Air (OTA). Key: Basic Safety Messages (BSM) / Personal Safety Messages (PSM) / Signal Phase and Timing (SPAT). OTA also broadcasts an intersection map and GPS corrections.

• The status of V2X standards (traditional DSRC and emerging 3GPP), and the status of US spectrum and NHTSA regulations, by John Kenney, Toyota InfoTechnology Center

Spectrum choices and the possibility of unlicensed device spectrum sharing.

• Considerations for GNSS and cellular/short-range connectivity for autonomous vehicles, and examples of implementations for connected vehicles, by Nikolaos Papadopoulos, u-blox America

There is no single technology capable of providing required position accuracy in all environments. A combination of core GNSS technologies is needed:
• SSR-RTK with correction data (satellite, LTE) brins accuracy of Multi-GNSS for large number of measurements.
• Multi-band reception for minimal convergence time.
• 3D automotive dead reckoning to smooth multipath effect, bridge obstructions and maintain positioning in tunnels and parking.

• Connected and Automated Vehicles for Traffic Safety: How radar, lidar, cameras, dedicated short range communications (DSRC) and V2X will combine to create advanced Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS),by Roger Berg, Denso International

Video demonstrates in-car system giving audio warning of a hard-braking directly vehicle ahead, hidden from the driver’s view.

June 14, 2016
FAA issues GPS interference flight advisory

[[Editor’s note: After this story was posted, and after the Navigate! enewsletter containing it was sent out to 27,128 subscribers, GPS World received notice that in fact the U.S. Navy canceled plans to jam GPS signals in the vicinity of the China Lake, California, Naval Air Weapons Station. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) had raised concerns about the impact on civilian air traffic and the size of the affected area. The Navy did not reveal the cause of the cancellation, other than to say the reason was “internal.”]]

According to a June 4 Federal Aviation Administration advisory, GPS testing is scheduled several days this month that may affect GPS reception on the West Coast of the U.S. with an unreliable or unavailable GPS signal.

The time periods discussed in this advisory may be reduced or cancelled with little or no notice. Pilots are advised to check NOTAMs frequently for possible changes prior to operations in the area. NOTAMs will be published at least 24 hours in advance of any GPS tests.

GPS Interference testing this June on the West Coast of the United States.

Location: The location is centered at 360822N1173846W or the BTY VOR 214 degree radial at 059 NM.

Dates and times

7 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
9 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
21 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
23 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
28 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
30 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z

Duration: Each event may last the entire requested period.

NOTAM INFO:

NAV (CHLK GPS 16-08) GPS (including WAAS, GBAS and ADS-B) may not be available within a 476 nautical mile radius centered at 360822N1173846W (BTY 214059) FL400-UNL DECREASING IN AREA WITH A DECREASE IN ALT DEFINED AS:
432NM RADIUS AT FL250
375NM RADIUS AT 10000FT
340NM RADIUS AT 4000FT AGL
253NM RADIUS AT 50FT AGL

THIS NOTAM APPLIES TO ALL AIRCRAFT RELYING ON GPS. ADDITIONALLY, DUE TO GPS INTERFERENCE IMPACTS POTENTIALLY AFFECTING EMBRAER PHENOM 300 AIRCRAFT FLIGHT STABILITY CONTROLS, FAA RECOMMENDS EMB PHENOM PILOTS AVOID THE ABOVE TESTING AREA AND CLOSELY MONITOR FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS DUE TO POTENTIAL LOSS OF GPS SIGNAL.

Affected Centers: Pilots are encouraged to report anomalies only when ATC assistance is required.

June 9, 2016
Rambus and Movimento team on personalized security for automotive

Rambus Inc. and Movimento are partnering to deliver secure, personalized over-the-air (OTA) vehicle updates critical to safety and performance in the era of the connected car.

Rambus is a specialist in digital security that provides a secure foundation for a connected world, and Movimento specializes in OTA software lifecycle and data management for the automotive/IoT sectors.

Movimento and Rambus are demonstrating the joint solution at TU-Automotive in Detroit. Visitors can see how the solution works on a live demo using a Dodge RAM truck in Movimento’s booth C67.

Moviemento also took home a TU-Automotive Award for Best Telematics Product/Service for its OTA platform.

The CryptoManager platform adds an important layer of security to the Movimento OTA solution. Vehicle updates provided by the combined Movimento and Rambus solution offers one-time, single-use keys unique to each vehicle, minimizing vulnerabilities and maximizing security.

As part of the collaboration, Movimento’s OTA technology uses the Rambus CryptoManager platform, enabling in-field provisioning of encrypted keys generated for each vehicle and allowing for secure communication between a vehicle and the cloud.

“As cars continue to increase in complexity and connectivity, often depending on more than 100 million lines of code to function, car makers and consumers alike are demanding simple and secure methods to download, authenticate and install vehicle updates,” said Mahbubul Alam, CTO of Movimento. “By partnering with Rambus and integrating the CryptoManager security platform with Movimento’s OTA solutions, we are able to further our strategy of building a best-in-class ecosystem of integrated solutions to enable the software defined car and data analytics.”

Movimento’s tools and technologies are designed to reduce complexity when making software and firmware updates by updating all the ECUs in a car in one go securely. From the chip to the cloud, Movimento builds on more than a decade of experience in automotive industry with the company updating more than 3 million vehicles every year.

“Many current OTA solutions deliver functional updates and security patches for vehicles using the same software encryption key for multiple vehicles, increasing the vulnerability of the update,” said Martin Scott, general manager of the Rambus Cryptography Research Division. “The Rambus CryptoManager solution provides an integrated security platform with flexible implementation from the hardware root-of-trust to the secure firmware which, when combined with Movimento’s OTA technology, enables the next level of integrated chip-to-cloud-to-car security.”

The CryptoManager platform allows for cost reduction by enabling security features already embedded in automotive chipsets and requires no additional security hardware. By utilizing an embedded hardware solution, the CryptoManager platform minimizes the attack surface of the vehicle by providing end point security.

June 8, 2016
Savari demos V2X safety communications solutions at TU-Automotive Detroit

Savari Inc., a V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication and safety technology company, is showcasing its advanced V2X safety communications solutions at TU-Automotive Detroit, taking place June 8-9 in Novi, Michigan.

At the show, Savari will be hosted by Qualcomm Technologies and will offer live demonstrations in Qualcomm booth #C69. The live demonstrations simulate real-life automotive traffic scenarios and how in-car V2X applications make driving safer and more efficient. It will feature predictive applications such as intersection movement assist (IMA), forward collision warning (FCW), blind-spot warning (BSW) and lane-change warning (LCW).

Savari’s and Qualcomm’s V2X technology delivers superior reliability compared to other solutions, eliminating the need for cameras that require line of sight, and ensuring lane level accuracy up to 0.6 mile/1 kilometer of communication range. These capabilities make V2X suitable for for future transportation initiatives, including self-driving cars.

A pioneer in V2X safety communications technologies, Savari delivers a suite of solutions that enable connected vehicles to interact with other vehicles, roadside infrastructure, smartphones and pedestrians, the company said.

Savari has achieved more 400,000 hours of public testing of its on-board units, covering more than 15 million miles traveled. Savari is also an active participant in major public U.S. smart city testbeds, with more than 90 percent of currently installed road-side-units, covering 130 public square miles.

June 8, 2016
2016 TU-Automotive Awards winners announced
TU-Automotive announced the 2016 winners of the TU-Automotive Awards at a reception in Novi, Michigan, held before the June 8-9 TU-Automotive Detroit trade show. The 10 winners were selected by 30 expert judges in 10 categories.

The award categories showcase specific aspects of the connected-car industry. The winners were selected by 30 top industry experts and judged based on the following criteria: innovation, industry engagement, user experience and market update.

“We launched the TU-Automotive Awards in December of last year with the objective of recognizing innovation and success across the globe from companies established and new,” said Ruthana Foulkes, managing director at TU-Automotive. “We received a record number of nominations this year — over 400 in total. And we would like to thank and congratulate every company for taking part in this process. The quality of entries as always was incredibly high.”

The 2016 TU-Automotive Awards winners are:
- OEM of the year – Joint winners: Volvo Car Group and Ford Motor Company
- Telematics Service Provider of the year – Wireless Car
- Best Telematics Product/Service – Movimento for Movimento’s Over-The-Air platform
- Best Insurance Telematics Product/Service – AXA Global Direct France for YouDrive
- Best Active Safety or ADAS Product/Service – Volvo Car for Pilot Assist
- Best Auto Mobility Product/Service – Veniam for Veniam
- Best Auto Cybersecurity Product/Service – Security Innovation for Aerolink
- Best Aftermarket Telematics Product/Service – MagellanGPS for Magellan eXplorist TRX7
- Newcomer of the year – PolySync (previously Harbrick Technologies)
- Influencer of the year – Julia Steyn, vice president of Urban Mobility Programs, General Motors
June 8, 2016
Lochbridge unveils connected-car innovations at TU-Automotive show
Lochbridge, a provider of automotive connectivity services and solutions, is presenting and exhibiting at TU-Automotive Detroit 2016, held June 8-9 in Novi, Michigan.

Through the company’s keynote presentation, newly released maturity model and suite of connected solutions, Lochbridge will demonstrate how OEMs need connectivity to create a competitive edge.

Lochbridge’s keynote presentation, “Are Your Connected Cars Ahead of the Curve?,” will unveil a new model that maps connected-car investments to the core outcomes of connectivity — loyalty, differentiation, monetization and quality. Delivered by Raj Paul, vice president of IoT & Connected Services, the presentation will show how connected solutions — including predictive analytics, OTA updates and digital integration — can be leveraged to achieve these outcomes. Using this model, Paul will present an industry scorecard to highlight how well OEMs today are applying connected solutions to gain a competitive edge. Lochbridge’s keynote presentation is scheduled at 2 p.m. ET on June 9.

At TU-Automotive Detroit 2016, the Lochbridge team will also be showcasing a suite of new connected vehicle solutions at booth 204:
- Risk Analytics: Demonstrating how usage-based insurance (UBI) progresses in parallel with the future world of urban mobility where drivers will carry a “lifetime-driving-score.” In collaboration with Harris Corporation integrating the Helios environmental intelligence platform, traditional driving behavior data, such as hard braking and accelerating, is combined with real-time contextual data, such as road conditions and environmental conditions.
- App Certification Ecosystem (ACE 2.0): Providing a cloud based “virtual bench” that allows developers to bring new ideas to life faster while offering OEMs control of the application development, certification and support process.
- IoT Device Management Platform: Enabling car manufacturers to extend new vehicle enhancements and manage recalls through a single solution. The solution provides OEMs a robust device management and Over-The-Air capability (OTA) supporting upgrades en masse or at an individual level.
- Fleet Management: Integrating Oracle’s IoT Cloud Service platform, the new fleet concept demonstrates how device tracking, management and analytics can be deployed with rigor rapidly.
Hands-on demonstrations of all four connected solutions will be available at Lochbridge’s exhibit at booth 204.

“It’s no longer about developing new and cool features. Connected car solutions need to provide automakers a competitive edge in the market and help create a great customer experience,” said Romil Bahl, Chief Executive Officer, Lochbridge. “We are excited to debut our new model and a suite of solutions that will allow our automotive clients to unlock new opportunities, drive growth and create value.”
June 8, 2016
GPS World reports live from TU-Automotive Detroit 2016

The 16th annual TU-Automotive Detroit conference and exhibition is being held June 8-9 in Novi, Michigan. This year’s event is focusing on the converging trends of connectivity, mobility and autonomy revolutionizing the automobile industry — specifically infotainment, V2X, apps, navigation, cybersecurity, mobility, autonomy, safety, insurance telematics, data aggregation, fleet management and tracking.

GPS World staff is at the event capturing news, photos and videos, compiled below.

NEWS

Rambus and Movimento team on personalized security for automotive (6/8)

Savari demos V2X safety communications solutions at TU-Automotive Detroit (6/8)

2016 TU-Automotive Awards winners announced (6/8)

Lochbridge unveils connected-car innovations at TU-Automotive show (6/8)

TomTom adds HD Map, RoadDNA for 17 new states (6/8)

u-blox launches new firmware for ADR GNSS modules (6/7)

STMicroelectronics, Autotalks fuse satellite navigation with V2X (5/18)

TU-Automotive Detroit agenda, speakers revealed (5/11)

Info services company Penton acquires TU-Automotive for IoT (1/3)

VIDEOS

PHOTOS

photo: GPS World staff

photo: GPS World staff

photo: GPS World staff

photo: GPS World staff

June 8, 2016
u-blox launches new firmware for ADR GNSS modules

u-blox has released its fourth generation firmware for 3D Automotive Dead Reckoning (ADR) GNSS modules and chip sets, the company announced during TU-Automotive 2016, which is being held June 8-9 in Novi, Michigan.

The Swiss-based company develops GPS technology, chip sets, miniaturized GPS modules, smart antennas and dead reckoning products. Designed for first mount or aftermarket road vehicle applications, such as in-car navigation, infotainment systems, telematics units and fleet management, the upgraded GNSS receiver now offers real-time continuous navigation output with an update rate of 20Hz, enabling low latency for applications such as interactive head-up displays.

The new firmware supports Galileo, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS and SBAS. It also supports the Galileo-based eCall European emergency call system, which will be required in new vehicles starting in 2018.

The DR performance has been enhanced, the company says, which improves navigation performance, especially in highly urban environments where satellite signals are heavily blocked by and reflected from buildings. The high performance of the u-blox M8 concurrent positioning engine combined with the latest u-blox 3D ADR technology results in 100 percent coverage and continuous 3D positioning.

The new firmware will be delivered on u-blox NEO-M8L modules and is available for UBX-M8030-Kx-DR dead reckoning chips, including the new automotive grade variant supporting operation up to 105 degrees Celsius.

June 7, 2016
FAA offers ADS-B rebates to aircraft owners

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is offering a $500 rebate for aircraft to install Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) surveillance technology ahead of a 2020 deadline.

Today on a national press call, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Deputy Administrator Michael G. Whitaker announced the $500 rebate incentive for General Aviation (GA) aircraft owners who equip their aircraft with required avionics technology.

Accelerating compliance is critical to ensuring that pilots, manufacturers and retail facilities have adequate time and capacity to equip aircraft ahead of a 2020 regulatory deadline, the FAA said.

ADS-B is a foundational element of the FAA’s NextGen program, which consists of a suite of technologies that are modernizing the nation’s air traffic control system. ADS-B transforms aircraft surveillance using satellite-based positioning.

“This announcement signals our commitment to NextGen, which has played an important role in ensuring that our airspace is safe and efficient for the American people,” Secretary Foxx said. “We are focused on achieving its full potential, and by working with our General Aviation community, I’m confident we can successfully integrate aircraft and technology into the national airspace system.”

The rebates will be available this fall, and the FAA will announce the specific date soon.

In the meantime, the FAA has published information regarding the goals and structure of the program and is encouraging aircraft owners to look at the available equipment on the market and to schedule an installation appointment with a qualified installer starting in the fall of 2016. Aircraft owners will only qualify for the rebate if the installation is scheduled after the FAA begins offering the rebates.

The FAA published a final rule in May 2010 mandating that aircraft flying in certain controlled airspace be equipped with ADS-B by Jan. 1, 2020. That airspace is generally the same busy airspace where transponders are required. Aircraft that fly only in uncontrolled airspace where no transponders are required, and aircraft without electrical systems, such as balloons and gliders, are exempt from the mandate.

“We’re calling on all aircraft owners who plan to fly in busy airspace to equip with ADS-B before the deadline,” Administrator Huerta said. “Owners who wait too long to equip may not be able to get an installation appointment before the deadline. This limited-time rebate provides an incentive for early retrofitting, and will help draw attention for the urgent need for owners to comply so that they can continue to fly their aircraft in 2020.”

The $500 rebate will help offset an owner’s cost to equip U.S.-registered, fixed-wing, single-engine piston aircraft with avionics that comply with FAA technical standard orders and meet the rule requirements. The FAA is not offering rebates for software upgrades for aircraft already equipped, for new aircraft or for aircraft for which the FAA already has paid or committed to upgrade.

The FAA will be able to distribute 20,000 rebates — one rebate per aircraft owner. The FAA is encouraging owners of fixed-wing, single-engine piston aircraft to apply as soon as the program is launched this fall because the rebates are available on a first-come, first-served basis for one year, or until all 20,000 rebates are claimed, whichever comes first. The FAA estimates that as many as 160,000 aircraft need to be equipped by the deadline.

“ADS-B provides the General Aviation community with increased safety, efficiency, and situational awareness,” said Whitaker. “We’re getting closer to the 2020 deadline, and we need 100 percent equipage in the required airspace to realize the full benefits of this NextGen technology.”

(Image from jatcaonline.com.)

General aviation and air taxi aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out enjoy more efficient spacing and optimal routing in some non-radar environments, including busy airspace in the Gulf of Mexico, mountainous regions of Colorado, and some areas in Alaska. ADS-B improves life-saving search-and-rescue with accurate and timely last-reported positions. General aviation pilots may also benefit from air traffic control services outside radar coverage.

The FAA is continuing to work with stakeholders such as the Aircraft Electronics Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and others to inform and educate the aviation community about the ADS-B requirements.

Aircraft are required to be equipped with ADS-B by January 2020 as part of the agency’s effort to implement the satellite-based NextGen system to improve the nation’s air traffic control.

ADS-B technology, which costs around $2,000 to install, can save lives because it improves situational awareness, allows real time weather and traffic updates and improves communication where radar is limited. It also has the ability to improve route efficiency and air traffic.

Learn more about equipping aircraft and the rebate program.

Airplane taking off from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with the air traffic control tower behind. (Photo: Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0)

June 6, 2016
Connected Car: Speaker line-up announced for June 16 webinar
GPS World has announced the speaker line-up for its “Connected Car: Cutting edge research aimed at implementing connected car and driverless car technology” webinar, sponsored by u-blox.

Date: Thursday, June 16
Time: 10:00 a.m. Pacific / 1:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. Central European Time
Duration: 60 minutes

Speakers:
- Chaminda Basnayake, Principal Engineer, V2X Systems
- John Kenney, Director and Principal Researcher, Network Division Toyota InfoTechnology Center
- Nikolaos Papadopoulos, President, u-blox America Inc.
- Roger Berg, Vice President, Wireless Technologies DENSO North American Research and Development Laboratories
Summary:

Connected cars and V2X — connectivity between vehicles and infrastructure — lie around the next bend in the road. Extensive research and development have prepared these revolutionary concepts for implementation very soon. Join GPS World and our panel of expert presenters as we discuss:
- Recent developments in – and the potential safety impact of – V2X technology.
- The role of GNSS, and potential challenges in accuracy, reliability, jamming and spoofing.
- How radar, lidar, cameras, dedicated short range communications (DSRC) and V2X will combine to create advanced Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
- Potential regulations and aftermarket devices.
Chaminda Basnayake is the technical lead for all Renesas communications enabled automotive active safety applications (V2X) in North America. Primary technical interface to customers, partners, government, research facilities and Renesas Japan. Support and develop customer solutions for production, research and applications. Responsible for developing and marketing V2X technical solutions (hardware and software) and providing customer technical training. Previously he worked for many years at GM OnStar.

John Kenney is the director of the Network Division of Toyota InfoTechnology Center USA. His division researches technologies that allow vehicles to communicate with each other and with other devices. A focus of his work is preventing accidents via always-on vehicle-to-vehicles packet communication. Toyotoa InfoTechnology research includes channel congestion control, security, quality of service (QoS), spectrum sharing, multi-channel operation, multi-path propagation and internal standards.

Nic Papadopoulos is president of u-blox America, a wholly owned subsidiary of u-blox AG, the Swiss positioning and wireless technology company. Prior to u-blox, he worked as director of sales at G&D, a large GSM SIM providers. Before that, he worked in various positions at Infineon Technologies (formerly Siemens Semiconductors). He holds an MSEE from the Technical University Munich.

Roger Berg is responsible for overseeing vehicle communication technology and DENSO’s research and development of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) technology for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Connected Vehicle program. He and his team worked on V2X from the early days going back to 2003-04.
May 31, 2016
Azuga expands sales operations for connected fleets

Photo: Azuga

Azuga, a provider of connected vehicle technology, expanded its sales operations to serve more than 100 fleets in 10 countries across Latin America, Europe, India and parts of the Middle East, the company announced in a news release.

“Our next-generation, easy-to-use connected vehicle solutions are now disrupting the fleet telematics market internationally with driver-friendly fleet telematics, dramatically lower costs and country-specific customizations,” says Ananth Rani, co-founder and president of Azuga. “Azuga’s expanded presence was made possible in partnership with Danlaw, a global provider of OBD II hardware with vehicle compatibility that’s unmatched in the industry. Millions of miles of road testing across the globe have given Azuga the platform for this international expansion. ”

[RELATED: Learn more about the company’s inception and its co-founder, from the 2015 CTIA Super Mobility show: Azuga Founder Rani Brings Gamification to Fleet Management]

In six months, Azuga has successfully helped Whirlpool Mexico’s home service technician division improve customer service and increase overall productivity. The company’s easy-to-install technology allowed for a very quick implementation into the fleet’s 100 vehicles, the company says. The fleet has saved Whirlpool 500,000 pesos per year in maintenance, fuel and operational costs.

With its roots in Detroit, the Silicon Valley-based telematics company couples automotive industry experience with leading technology and innovation in order to provide a suite of game-changing fleet solutions, according to the news release. The solution combines traditional GPS fleet tracking with driver visibility, gamification, employer-funded rewards, social sharing and Azuga-funded awards. Those additional social telematics driver-centric features have enabled fleet managers to experience significant and positive shifts in company morale, as well as an increase in overall ROI, the company says.

“We selected Azuga for its painless and quick installation and implementation as well as its geofencing and driver safety features,” said Tim Whittaker director of Leamoco, one of the UK’s leading car part specialists. “We are really excited that we had an option in the UK that allowed us to easily access rich engine and driver behavior data as well as gamification of the driver experience. This ensures we can improve and exceed customer expectations on delivery times, and continue to improve efficiency and safety across the fleet. Having had time to use this system properly, and seeing the positive impact it has had on the business, I can state that it has delivered all that we hoped for. We now wouldn’t be without it.”

Azuga’s connected vehicle solution for fleets is available internationally from select partners and resellers.

May 23, 2016