GPS World

Tag: fleet management

  • MWC 2015: Geotab Offers Add-On Extender for All-Vehicle Support

    Geotab, a telematics engineering company, has released its IOX-CAN extender, a plug-and-play solution that allows partners to send data from their device over a private CAN network in the vehicle, supporting integrations on all vehicle types.

    Geotab is exhibiting at Mobile World Congress 2015, at Hall 3, Stand 3J20.

    According to Geotab, Fortune 500 companies, including 40 percent of the top ten fleets and 18 percent of the top 100 fleets in North America, rely on Geotab’s solutions to improve productivity, optimize fleets through the reduction of fuel consumption, enhance driver safety, and achieve stronger compliance to regulatory changes.

    A number of companies are already leveraging the IOX-CAN extender to send data from their devices to the MyGeotab system. Geotab’s integration with Mobileye, a technology company that develops vision-based Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) providing warnings for collision prevention and mitigation, has been upgraded with the IOX-CAN extender allowing full support for all vehicle types, including OBDII (on-board diagnostics II) vehicles.

    Geotab’s new add-on solution allows Mobileye devices to plug into Geotab’s GO6 and GO7 devices, allowing Mobileye data to be sent to the MyGeotab software platform, where it can be viewed and analyzed by dispatchers and fleet managers.

    “Our solutions are designed to make the roads safer for everyone as the issue of distracted driving continues to be a problem,” said Elad Serfaty, vice president and general manager of Mobileye Aftermarket. “Working with Geotab allows us to not only provide feedback to the driver, and with managers who can effect change where needed, but we can do this across all vehicle types.”

    “Expanding our integration capabilities and continuing our work with Mobileye is a natural evolution as more and more companies realize the benefits of fleet management,” said Neil Cawse, CEO, Geotab. “Providing collision warnings to drivers just before a crash is the first step to creating a safer driving environment for everyone.”

  • MWC 2015: Anritsu to Showcase Cloud-Based Connected Car System for Fleets

    Photo: Anritsu
    Photo: Anritsu

    Anritsu plans to showcase a sophisticated, cloud-based connected car system for fleet tracking at Mobile World Congress 2015, which will be held in Barcelona March 2-5. The system was developed by the University of Hertfordshire in the UK with the help of network simulation technology from Anritsu.

    The system will be demonstrated using a GNSS simulator from Spectracom to provide location information to the system being tested.

    The connected car demonstration will show a car’s diagnostics system connecting to the cloud via a simulated LTE network environment provided by Anritsu’s mobile network simulator, the MD8475A. An application in the cloud enables a fleet manager on any Internet-connected device to view the location and operating parameters of any vehicle in the fleet in real time.

    The MD8475A enables the university’s development team to test, from their Hertfordshire laboratory and with a single instrument, how the system’s in-car LTE modem would perform in mobile networks all across the world, and operating according to all major worldwide standards.

    The combination of the MD8475A and the Spectracom simulator provides a complete test environment, to simulate any global location, and any type of cellular connectivity, to ensure correct operation of the system. This test bed will showcase the effectiveness of a complete wireless test-bed solution, to enable cost-effective development testing, product validation, and customer experience evaluation within a single system.

    Anritsu Corporation has been a communications provider solutions for more than 110 years, with test and measurement solutions including wireless, optical, microwave/RF and digital instruments, operations support systems and solutions that can be used during R&D, manufacturing, installation and maintenance.

  • Fleetmatics Enhances Field Service Management with New Features

    Fleetmatics Group now offers new features for its mobile field service management solution Fleetmatics WORK. The enhancements help businesses to operate more efficiently and maximize their resources, the company said. Fleetmatics is a global provider of mobile workforce solutions for service-based businesses.

    This latest release dramatically accelerates time to cash for SMB operators by embedding a payment link directly into the emailed invoice that is generated. With this new online payment powered by Stripe, Fleetmatics WORK closes the loop between job completion and payment. Jobs can now be invoiced from the field instantly via email and transactions can be processed securely in real time.

    Fleetmatics WORK has added integrations with QuickBooks Online in the U.S. and MYOB AccountRight Live in Australia and New Zealand. Now, when jobs are completed, the invoices flow seamlessly from Fleetmatics WORK to the user’s accounting system and updated client information is sent between the systems to keep all data in sync, Fleetmatics said.

    Business owners now have additional tools to manage fieldworkers. As service businesses grow, it becomes increasingly important for them to have manageable views of their field. New fieldworker tags in Fleetmatics WORK give dispatchers clear visibility to sort schedules and make assignments based on best fit.

    “Our mission is to help customers achieve greater levels of productivity, service and efficiency,” said Jonathan Durkee, Vice President of Product Management for Fleetmatics. “With the new online payments, seamless accounting integrations and increased fieldworker visibility we’re enabling field service businesses to drive even stronger results.”

    Free training and ongoing support is available to all users through Fleetmatics’ award-winning customer service, which provides education and best practices for transforming data into actionable business intelligence.

  • PCTEL Offers Two New Fleet Management Antennas

    PCTEL Offers Two New Fleet Management Antennas

    PCTEL-antennas-fleets

    PCTEL has introduced two new fleet-management antennas intended to make high-speed data communications easier. The high-performance antennas include LTE, Wi-Fi, and GPS capabilities in a single low-profile housing.

    The first new antenna is a magnetic-mount version of PCTEL’s 5-port multiband fleet management antenna, designed to support temporary installations such as rental vehicle fleets. The 5-port GPS and communications antenna provides outstanding performance for critical fleet management applications, PCTEL said.

    LTE MIMO, GPS Multiband Antenna with Magnetic Base
    LTE MIMO, GPS Multiband Antenna with Magnetic Base

    Features of the LTE MIMO, GPS Multiband Antenna with Magnetic Base include:

    • Optimal 4G LTE MIMO and dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi
    • High rejection GPS LNA assembly
    • Low-profile housing in white or black
    • An IP67-compliant design
    • High-performance, low loss cable and high-quality connectors
    • Rare earth magnets for outstanding pull force resistance

    The second new antenna is a sleeker, more aerodynamic fleet-management antenna designed for public safety or other vehicular applications requiring a smaller footprint, making it PCTEL’s most compact multiband GPS and communications option.

    LTE, Dual 802.11n, GPS Multiband Antenna
    LTE, Dual 802.11n, GPS Multiband Antenna

    Features of the LTE, Dual 802.11n, GPS Multiband Antenna include:

    • Optimal 4G LTE and dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi
    • High Rejection GPS LNA assembly
    • Aerodynamic, compact, UV-resistant housing in white or black
    • IP67 compliant design
    • High-performance, low loss cable and high-quality connectors

    Both new magnetic-mount antennas are now available for shipment. New smaller footprint antennas will be available in March.

  • Mojio Partners with Dooing to Offer Live Fleet Tracking

    dooing-in-iphone6-171x300Mojio, an open platform for connecting cars, has announced a partnership with Dooing, a new team management platform for businesses that can dispatch jobs and track teams.

    “With Dooing, any business can dispatch jobs and track teams on the move, from three people to thousands,” said David Barton-Grimley, a Mojio developer and co-founder of Dooing. “iOS and Android apps are used to manage field staff, assigning and tracking a job’s life cycle from start to finish with reports on key performance metrics. Enterprises and startups alike can build Dooing into their own products with our API.”

    With the partnership Mojio says businesses can narrow down on fuel consumption, prevent breakdowns with diagnostics insights and track in real time.

    “Mojio is the first platform we’ve integrated into Dooing, enabling Mojio customers to track jobs with live fleet data,” Barton-Grimley said. “Additionally, we’ve added to the ability to track and report on key metrics like fuel consumption and distance traveled down to the specific job.”

    Mojio, the only open-platform connected car device — according to the company — has plans to continue growing its ecosystems of drivers, partners and developers.

  • US Fleet Tracking’s GPS Trackers Aim to Save Money

    US Fleet Tracking‘s GPS trackers allow companies to monitor its fleet drivers’ speeds.

    Monitoring a driver’s speed may reduce the risk of an increase in insurance premiums, ticket costs, and fuel and maintenance costs. The company’s GPS trackers store speeding information, meaning drivers may increase performance knowing their speed is being observed.

  • Trimble Offers Fleet Management App for Concrete Industry

    Trimble Offers Fleet Management App for Concrete Industry

    The TrimView fleet usage screen on an Android.
    The TrimView fleet usage screen on an Android.

    Trimble has introduced Trimble TrimView Direct, a mobile application that leverages existing real-time data collected by Trimble’s TrimFleet Suite for the ready-mix concrete industry. Trimble has teamed with development partner, BCMI, to expand on how the data is viewed and used by top-level management.

    The announcement was made at the World of Concrete.

    By leveraging mobile technology, organizations have access to instantaneous information so managers no longer need to wait for paper reports to understand the state of their business. Using TrimView Direct, ready-mix producers and management across the organization have real-time access to critical data that impact their daily business decisions. The app collects information from existing systems and integrates it in a Web-based environment to deliver an accurate view of the company’s strengths, customer trends and opportunities for improvement on a mobile platform.

    The app, available on iOS and Android devices, provides a dashboard of real-time data, including order status, ticket details, order timelines, fleet analytics and performance, vehicle location, trip status, signal health, driver hours and performance. The data can be filtered and viewed using maps, graphs, charts and timelines for a visual representation of critical information.

    TrimView Direct is organized in modes: delivery, fleet and driver. Navigating using scrolling menus and toggle screens, users can tap or swipe the page to instantly find and record data.

    For example, managers use the fleet dashboard to see average cycle miles, current fleet usage, average costs, signal health and delivery performance for a fleet, plant, truck or group of trucks. Sales and account managers who are on a customer site can reference data in the field, including order status, performance, timeline and ticket information.

    “Our work with BCMI empowers today’s mobile worker,” said Glenn Bramer, director of marketing for Trimble Construction Logistics. “As we continue to develop solutions that transform the way work is done, we must look at how we can extend valuable information beyond desktop users and enable management to make smarter decisions anytime, anywhere. TrimView Direct is a bold step in this direction.”

    “Coupling Trimble’s expertise in collecting real-time data for improved productivity with our movement to modernize the tools and processes for ready mix operations, we have enabled the entire concrete production chain, both human and machine, to interact with actionable, real-time information,” said Bernie Benson, co-founder of BCMI.

  • Navman Wireless Launches 360 Degree Fleet Safety Solution

    Navman Wireless is launching an integrated vehicle tracking and camera technology product aimed at helping businesses manage risk, improve road safety, and reduce insurance costs. The product, labeled “360 Degree,” integrates telematics, vehicle tracking technology and in-cab safety camera equipment to create what Navman calls a “seamless umbrella of preventive and protective technology.”

    The system is designed to help mitigate poor driving, reducing on-the-road risk. “Prevention is better than cure, and using data from telematics and vehicle tracking software to help mitigate poor driving significantly reduces on-road risk, but when you are on the road you need 360 degrees of protection,” said Hutchins.

    Navman Wireless describes the in-cab safety camera equipment, supplied by Smart Witness, as a safety net. “It’s a last line of defense for drivers and fleet businesses in those unfortunate circumstances beyond their control,”said Scott Hutchins, VP sales UK and Ireland, Navman Wireless. “The introduction of in-cab camera technology not only protects the driver and business from not-at-fault claims, but also enables us to offer a complete proactive and preventative solution that has the potential to deliver measurable improvements in terms of accident and cost reduction.”

    “It’s about prevention and protection. Telematics technology is integral to a successful preventive safety strategy because it can be effectively utilized to assess drivers and ensure safety and quality,” Hutchins said.

     

  • Nexcom’s Telematics Support Fleet Management

    Nexcom introduces in-vehicle computers VTC 7230 and VTC 7240 to foster the growth of connected vehicles in the IoT (Internet of Things), which aims to offer safer and more efficient driving experience. Featuring fifth-generation Intel Core processors, the in-vehicle computers have numerous telematics features to support fleet management, security features to protect vehicles in the IoT, and performance to drive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and stream multiple video surveillance feeds.

    For fleet management, VTC 7230 and VTC 7240 feature built-in GPS for vehicle tracking and navigation, and a CAN bus 2.0B interface with optional OBD II function for vehicle diagnostics. To enable remote monitoring of vehicle diagnostics, store and exchange data of video surveillance feeds and IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) services, VTC 7230 and VTC 7240 feature four mini-PCIe expansions with dual WWAN support and dual external HDDs, providing high cellular bandwidth for fast connections and ample storage for large video and media files.

    “The pursuit of driving safety and efficiency has been the driving force for advancements in in-vehicle technologies,” said Steven Wu, general manager of Nexcom’s Vertical Industry Platform (VIP) Business Unit. “Using fifth-generation Intel Core processors i3-5010U and i7-5650U respectively, VTC 7230 and VTC 7240 provide signal processing, machine vision, and video transcoding capabilities required of ADAS, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and video surveillance, giving abilities to sense and to think to fleet transport, public transport, police vehicles, ambulances and more.”

    “The fifth-generation Intel Core processors utilizing Intel’s new 14nm process has integrated Intel HD graphics 5500 and 6000 and expanded hardware security. Its excellent performance adds multitasking capability for compute-intensive applications such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), while the Intel Quick Sync Video provides fast transcode time. Furthermore, hardware security design, Intel OS Guard and Intel AES-NI, helps protect systems against malware intrusions and helps accelerate data encryption.” said Samuel Cravatta, IOTG product line director, Intel.

    For added physical security, the pre-alarm function on the in-vehicle computers features two DI and DO channels and an event button signal that can both operate in power-off state, ensuring alarms and emergency notifications are constantly available at times of intrusion or urgent conditions.

    For fleet management, VTC 7230 and VTC 7240 feature built-in GPS for vehicle tracking and navigation, a CAN bus 2.0B interface with optional OBD II function for vehicle diagnostics. Furthermore, to enable remote monitoring of vehicle diagnostics, store and exchange data of video surveillance feeds and IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) services, VTC 7230 and VTC 7240 feature four mini-PCIe expansions with dual WWAN support and dual external HDDs, providing high cellular bandwidth for fast connections and ample storage for large video and media files.

  • Azuga, Verizon Wireless to Provide Wireless M2M Services

    Azuga Fleet, a cloud-based, rewards-driven GPS fleet tracking and driver behavior solution, is collaborating with Verizon Wireless. Verizon will serve as the official wireless network provider for Azuga Fleet, providing reliable performance and real time updates to fleet managers from the field in order to further increase efficiencies in the fleet industry through machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies.

    “We chose Verizon Wireless to make Azuga Fleet’s technology even more accessible, simpler and reliable for fleet managers to utilize,” said Vice President and General Manager of Azuga Fleet, Ananth Rani. “Azuga will be expanding its roadmap to encompass products related to IoT (Internet of Things) 2015 and we look forward to working with Verizon as we develop these and bring them to market.”

    “By working together and combining our superior and most reliable network with Azuga Fleet’s unique driver behavior and rewards solution technology we will further increase fleet efficiencies and promote safer driving behaviors,” said Verizon Wireless Region President Lauren Love-Wright. “This new service is a simple and quick solution for any fleet manager to rapidly deploy GPS fleet tracking and driver behavior solutions.”

    The teamwork between Verizon Wireless and Azuga Fleet directly benefits customers, especially those who face limited network service in various parts of the country. The bundled solution will provide Verizon Wireless coverage to all existing and future Azuga Fleet customers, giving fleet managers the high-speed reliability they need for accurate, real-time reporting.

    Verizon Wireless’ M2M services, including secure mobility, device provisioning and troubleshooting, are designed to provide the highest level of customer support to Azuga’s customers. This, coupled with the cloud-based, rewards-driven, plug-and-play technology, will save Azuga Fleet customers money, increase overall productivity, enhance company cultures, and keep drivers safe at 70 cents per day per vehicle.

  • SkyTraq GNSS Receiver Module Provides Indoor/Outdoor Positioning

    SkyTraq S2525DR8 Photo: SkyTraq Technology
    Photo: SkyTraq Technology

    SkyTraq Technology, Inc., a fabless GNSS positioning technology company, has introduced an all-in-one S2525DR8 GNSS dead-reckoning module, with integrating MEMS sensor and interface logic on-board. The module is designed for road vehicles requiring high accuracy 100 percent positioning availability.

    The S2525DR8 offers accuracy for both indoor and outdoor positioning. It is based on SkyTraq’s Venus 8 multi-GNSS platform and uses a high-performance automotive-grade XV-8100CB analog output gyroscope and 16-bit differential ADC. A 3D option adds a barometric pressure sensor on-board, offering improved accuracy for altitude reading and altitude change detection over an accelerometer-based scheme in 3D dead reckoning.

    Another monitoring option adds an accelerometer on-board, offering high-accuracy vehicle acceleration monitoring for driver behavior characterization, accident reconstruction analysis, or trigger event recording. The S2525DR8 is compact at 25 x 25 millimeters. It contains a level shifter on board, capable of direct interface to a vehicle odometer and forward/reverse signals ranging from 3V to 30V.

    The SPI interface pins on the module allow autonomous data logging to an external SPI Flash memory device. For high-performance vehicle navigation systems, S2525DR8 provides continuous navigation inside tunnels and underground parking lots without signals; highly accurate barometric altitude enables identification of which level the vehicle is on in a stacked multi-level high-way or a multi-story car park. For automatic vehicle locating or fleet management systems, location can be identified immediately after power on, whether the vehicle is outdoors or indoors under a signal-denied environment.

    The S2525DR8 provides reliable, uninterrupted position, speed and heading information in challenging environments; it is suitable for demanding vehicle navigation and tracking applications requiring the highest accuracy and availability, SkyTraq said. The S2525DR8 is now being manufactured in ISO/TS 16949 automotive-certified factories; an evaluation kit, sample, datasheet, and reference design are available now. A 3D option with barometric sensor and a vehicle-dynamics monitoring option with accelerometer will be available in the first quarter of 2015.

  • Road King to Use Hirschmann Antennas to for Ready-Mix Concrete Transport

    Ready-mix concrete transportation has long been a challenge for the fleet industry, as concrete is subject to unique time and maintenance limitations to prevent hardening during transit. To improve delivery efficiencies and monitor the integrity of this temperamental cargo, Road King Technologies, Inc., a fleet management and automation company, has integrated Hirschmann Solutions antennas, a supplier of antenna and transceiver systems for M2M (machine-to-machine) and automotive communications, to develop a more reliable fleet data-collection solution.

    “As we continue to find ways to provide more data collection benefits to our concrete transport customers, we’re creating strategic partnerships with innovators like Hirschmann, who can help advance our technology,” said Harry Marks, president of Road King. “Our relationship with Hirschmann has been — and will continue to be — a fruitful partnership for years to come.”

    Using Hirschmann roof antennas, Road King is able to maintain the best possible cellular and GPS signal connection for its GPS-enabled solution, which is directly installed in concrete delivery trucks. The technology requires constant connectivity to upload data from the truck, including water usage, quantity control and dispatch wait times every 30 seconds. This information is processed by the server and sent to clients in a graphic format showcasing the delivery status of every truck. As a result, customers can review the processed information to improve and adjust their transport systems, boost driver reliability across their organizations and increase overall efficiencies.

    “The complexities of delivering ready-mix concrete makes it vital that cargo data collection is constant and reliable,” said Frank Homann, president of Hirschmann USA. “With Hirschmann’s antenna, we’re working with Road King to ensure their data collection solution can optimally operate in any condition, including areas where cellular connectivity can be a major issue.”

    Ready-mix concrete trucks work in some of the most extreme cellular environments, such as downtown areas where tall buildings can create urban canyons that block or interfere with cellular transmissions and GPS signals. In some cases, deliveries are made in new urban areas, where cellular towers are not yet installed and service, if any, can be intermittent, at best.

    Road King’s data collection technology using Hirschmann antennas is certified by the PTCRB (PCS Type Certification Review Board), an organization setup by network operators to test GSM (global system for mobile communications) devices, such as mobile phones, modules and M2M devices. PTCRB certification is a requirement for launching cellular devices on North American GSM carriers.