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TomTom Telematics has launched a new smartphone app in the UK and Germany that gives drivers real-time feedback on their driving style.

TomTom CURFER uses the latest developments in connected car technology from TomTom Telematics to provide drivers with visual information on how they drive – including live and retrospective feedback on their braking, cornering, acceleration and idling.

 

“This new aftermarket solution brings the benefits of our advanced, cloud-based, fleet management technology to all drivers and passenger cars," said Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director, TomTom Telematics. “It also demonstrates the opportunities the TomTom LINK 100 and its OBD.connect SDK offer third-party developers for creating mobile apps that make use of real-time vehicle and driving data.”

 

The TomTom CURFER app works in conjunction with the TomTom LINK 100 dongle, which plugs into the vehicle’s OBD port to connect car and smartphone via Bluetooth.

In addition to gaining real-time feedback, drivers can share information on their individual driving style with friends over social media networks, monitor long-term trends and earn digital badges and similar recognitions. This allows them to compare their performance behind the wheel and compete with one another to achieve the best possible driving performance.

While the product itself doesn’t include GPS, to protect the location privacy of drivers, the TomTom CURFER app also includes an optional car finder tool that will navigate users directly to their parked vehicles.

TomTom CURFER is available on http://tomtom.com/curfer from £79.00.

 

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Companies keen to deploy the Motion F5m tablet, who have been thwarted by lack of availability got some good news at last week's Service Management Expo - new owners Xplore Technologies announced that the tablet has begun shipping again.

Stocks dwindled rapidly when Motion Computing's screen supplier abruptly closed its factory in China at the end of last year. Production has now restarted with a new supplier and lead times are back to normal, Ian Davies, Country Manager, Northern Europe, told Field Service News.

The F5m specification includes an Intel i7 vPro processor and the option of ultra-fast 4G mobile broadband connectivity.

Last week's event was the first time service companies had the chance to take a look at the new combined range from following Xplore's acquisition of Motion Computing in April. Both companies are leading providers of Windows-based rugged tablets designed to enable mobile workers to securely capture and share critical data at the point-of-service, delivering real-time decision making capabilities necessary for improved productivity, operational efficiency, and faster / smarter service tablets.

"I'm pleased with how the integration is going," said Davies. "Xplore Technologies can now offer a wider line-up of tablets addressing a broader range of customer needs."

Look out for Field Service News' review of the F5m next week.

 

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Cognito, the field service  management solutions company, has appointed Laurent Othacéhé as CEO, as part of  a wider organisational restructure intended to position the company for  growth.

Othacéhé joined Cognito in 2014 as Sales Director, bringing with  him more than 20 years’ experience in the field service industry. Prior to that he was CEO of 360 Scheduling, a company he created from scratch, which grew to be one of the world’s leading providers of mobile workforce scheduling and  optimisation software.

Othacéhé was recently named by Field Service  News as one of the ‘20 most influential people in field service’.  As such, he is ideally suited to lead Cognito as the company seeks ongoing investment to  fund its growth strategy.  “Innovation is at the heart of our business, so  I’m thrilled to be leading a company whose people are known within our industry  for their creativity, expertise and dedication to customer service” said  Othacéhé.

 

Cognito’s plans to grow the business include expansion  into new markets, and the goal of the restructure is to support this  strategy.  Other changes of role within the management team include the  appointment of Dave Webb, who joined Cognito in 2010, as COO, and Steve  Alderson, who has been with the ompany for more than 20 years, as SVP – Service  Operations.

 

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The number of unplanned truck standstills can be cut by 80 per cent. This is revealed in a study conducted by Volvo Trucks. In the long term, the aim is that unplanned standstills should entirely disappear. One key explanation for this expected trend is online connectivity in trucks, a development that creates entirely new scope for working with preventive maintenance.

An unplanned standstill is one of the most problematic issues that can affect a haulage firm. Apart from the inconvenience for the driver, it creates extra costs for repairs, lost transport revenue and, in the worst-case scenario, a damage to customer reputation.

“Since the transport industry already operates with very small margins, an unplanned standstill hits haulage firms hard. We therefore have to be better at understanding why unplanned stops take place and help both customers and drivers increase their productivity and thus also their profitability,” says Hayder Wokil, Director Quality and Uptime, Volvo Trucks.

In order to increase knowhow about how to help haulage firms boost their productivity, Volvo Trucks conducted a comprehensive survey that based on real-life user data from 3500 Volvo trucks gathered over a 5-year period. With this authentic statistical basis the company then conducted advanced simulations and generated a variety of possible service situations to analyse how, why and when trucks suffer unplanned standstills. The aim was to find out how unplanned stops can be avoided.

 

“The study clearly showed that by being able to monitor the truck’s usage and the current status of the vehicle’s various key components, it is possible to plan maintenance better. We reckon we can reduce the number of unplanned standstills by 80 per cent if the truck is serviced in time and in response to actual needs,” explains Hayder Wokil.

Connected trucks are the way to zero unplanned standstills


One important prerequisite for reducing the number of unplanned standstills is to be able to predict maintenance needs and to tailor servicing for each individual truck. This is possible since today’s trucks can be connected online to the workshop.

“For instance, a service technician can remotely monitor exactly how the truck is being used in real time, schedule maintenance well in advance before something breaks down, or order spare parts in advance. What’s more, a scheduled service can also be postponed if the workshop technician can see that the truck’s various components are subject to less wear than expected, thus saving time for both the haulage firm and the driver,” relates Hayder Wokil.

Although Volvo Trucks has made considerable progress in this area, Hayder Wokil feels that the development of preventive service is still in its infancy.

 

“We see considerable potential in this area. Connected vehicles are the route to zero unplanned standstills in the future,” says Hayder Wokil.

 

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Enterprise mobility specialists Kony and Citrix are teaming up to offer a comprehensive mobile app development and  mobility deployment solution.

Enterprise mobility specialists Kony and Citrix are teaming up to offer a comprehensive mobile app solution that includes initial mobile app design and development to enterprise mobility management and operations.
 
“We are excited to work with Kony to help power the mobile enterprise with industry-proven applications, visualisation, development, and management tools for a wide range of industries, ” said Scott Schwarshoff, Vice President of Mobile Application Platform at Citrix. The combination of Kony’s mobile app platform and XenMobile enterprise mobility management solution will empower customers to accelerate their mobile strategy to deliver world-class mobile experiences, he continued.
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[quote float="left"]Customers get individualised solutions from quick-start app templates designed to efficiently mobilise the business

Kony Apps are now verified by the Citrix Ready program, designed to allow customers to get their apps to market faster. The apps, which include the Kony Mobile Service Solution,  incorporate built-in best practices, features, and connectors.  Customers get individualised solutions from quick-start app templates designed to efficiently mobilise the business or customer processes to meet business needs, exceed user expectations and drive business results. They integrate with existing ERP systems to deliver all mobile devices, including phones and tablets and are  highly secured, scalable, and business-ready with reporting and analytics.
 
“Leading companies across the globe are successfully using mobility as a catalyst for business innovation,” said Dave Shirk, president, Products and Marketing, Kony. “Enterprise mobile apps are no longer a nice to have. It has now become a strategic imperative for businesses to effectively compete in this new mobile era. We are excited to work with Citrix, a long-standing industry technology leader. Together, we will empower enterprises to fast-track their mobile strategy with a proven mobile-centric approach from start to finish, with leading technology at every level.”
 

 

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A new study by LogMeIn and Ovum reveals a significant disconnect between what today’s mobile, always-connected customers have come to expect from customer service and what contact centres are delivering.

Although businesses are fully aware of new behavioural trends among customers, not all of them are tailoring their customer service experience to match customers’ needs. Over 50% of customers surveyed believe that the ability to reach the right representative has worsened over the last two years. As a result, 84% claimed to have stopped doing business with a brand following a bad customer service experience.

The key findings also show that mobile, web self-service and chat are rapidly growing channels for customer support. Over the last two years, the number of customers using a mobile phone for support calls doubled to 40%, the use of mobile apps has more than tripled to 16% up from 5%, and the number of customers using live chat has almost tripled to 29%. Both customers and businesses look at Internet of Things as the next asset to support technical queries and ensure smooth customer experience, with 34% of surveyed businesses claiming they have IoT-ready devices.

Conducted by Ovum Research, a leading global technology research and advisory firm, on behalf of LogMeIn, makers of the popular customer engagement tools, BoldChat and LogMeIn Rescue, the survey explores the connected-consumer’s expectations for customer service and how those expectations compare with what contact centre managers believe and are prepared to face.

Other key findings include:

• Time taken to reach an agent is the biggest customer complaint:
65% of customers want easier access to representatives as they are most frustrated with time taken to reach a representative and resolution time. Long hold times and automated service menus continue to irritate customers who are keen to get fast resolutions to their problems. This explains why many are turning to the web for support inquiries, with contact centres seeing almost 45% of interactions coming from channels other than voice.
• Customer service relationships directly impact loyalty:
84% of customers claimed to have stopped doing business with a brand following a bad experience. Businesses need to pinpoint the cause of customer dissatisfaction and make changes to improve retention and protect their customer base.
• Customers look to web and mobile for answers first:
71% of customers said they use the web to look for information always or most of the time before contacting customer service. However, only 31% of managers believe that their customers frequently use the web before calling, showing a big discrepancy. Managers need new tools to track web behaviour and link it to live customer interactions.
• Use of email and web chat continues to grow:
The number of customers using live chat and email has almost tripled over the last two years. As this number increases further, contact centres must be ready to handle interactions in non-voice channels, but also to provide quick resolution, as resolution rates are lower for support inquiries across non-voice channels.
• Live chat is a promising channel for support interactions:
Not only does it offer fast access to agents, but it is efficient because agents can handle two or three chats at the same time. It can also be used on mobile devices, using links from a mobile application or site, and agents can link customer web behaviour to a chat interaction so agents are more readily aware of particular behaviours.
• Managers understand that waiting times are an issue:
Managers do realise that customers need quick resolutions to their problems, as their top priorities for 2015 are agent training and improving resolution times. They track resolution times and customer satisfaction among other metrics in order to improve connectivity between agents and customers, whether through new or traditional channels.
• The Internet of Things shows potential for technical resolutions:
 The Internet of Things is not completely understood by customers, as 50% of customers said that they didn’t believe it to be necessary or would be uncomfortable with connecting their devices. But 25% would be willing to use it if it means solving technical issues quicker. Contact centre managers, however, are familiar with the benefits of connected devices and are keen to resolve issues remotely, as 34% of the surveyed said that they have devices that can be connected to the Internet and out of those respondents 88% currently offer connected versions of those products.[/unordered_list] 

"This dual perspective study confirms that customers are increasingly using digital channels for support, especially if they know they can get faster resolutions and responses. It also indicates that businesses need to adapt their service tools to match customer needs and improve access to live agents,” said Aphrodite Brinsmead, Senior Analyst at Ovum. "Contact centres should invest in technology to understand cross-channel behaviour and link customers’ digital interactions with their profiles and case records. By optimising online support and guiding customers to the right channel for their issues, businesses will be able to improve resolution rates and customer satisfaction.”

“Today’s highly mobile customers are empowered to seek out support from multiple touch points and have come to expect a response through those channels in minutes, let alone hours. Yet contact centres are not equipped to provide the fast resolutions their customer’s desire. This research provides an insightful view into the needs and frustrations of these mobile customers, giving contact centre managers the opportunity to invest in the correct tools and prioritise their support channels,” said W. Sean Ford, CMO of LogMeIn. “We believe that live chat benefits all parts of the business, particularly when added to websites or mobile applications and therefore should be a priority for contact centre managers.”

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Haulier Ernest Cooper Ltd is set to save more than £125,000 in fuel costs over the next 12 months by improving driver behaviour across its 25-strong vehicle fleet.

The bulk tipping specialist, which transports over 1.5 million tonnes of bulk materials nationwide each year, saw mpg improve by 14 per cent and negative driving events such as idling decrease by 63 per cent in the first two months of using TomTom Telematics’ WEBFLEET fleet management system.

Ernest Cooper uses the integral driver behaviour monitoring tool OptiDrive to deliver both on-the-road coaching to drivers and full post-trip evaluation reports to managers.

“Because our drivers now get real time visual alerts on their in-cab device when they are speeding or braking and cornering too harshly, they can respond instantly,” said Ernest Cooper Ltd Director Jason Cooper. “The dramatic effect on fuel efficiency means that we are now planning to introduce the technology across our growing sub contractor fleet."

 

“The fact that OptiDrive incorporates such clear colour coding makes it really easy to see where there are problems, so we know which issues and drivers to address at a glance. We trialled various systems but decided to go with TomTom Telematics as it did exactly what the management required and was by far the superior option to its competitors."

Ernest Cooper is now set to integrate WEBFLEET with LGV-specific routing and scheduling software from Stirling Solutions. This will allow integrated order management with the TomTom Telematics PRO 8275 TRUCK ruggedized driver terminal.

"The day's schedule of jobs is sent to each driver, and as soon as they accept each job, the system automatically calculates ETAs and alerts office staff," explained Vic Ball, Managing Director of Stirling Solutions. "Customers can either track their order online or opt to receive email or text updates. Drivers can also capture customer signatures on the TomTom driver terminal, giving proof and time of delivery."

 

“The latest system will significantly improve our outstanding customer service standards by giving up-to-date ETAs for each job,” added Jason. “Being able to communicate job schedule details directly to drivers without having to text or phone them stops any ambiguity or details getting lost in translation. It will help us to run our fleet much more efficiently.”

Giles Margerison, director at TomTom Telematics, commented: “Continuous driver behaviour improvement is one of the key modern challenges for greener and safer driving. We’ve recently launched four new KPI’s in OptiDrive which allow fleet operators and drivers to learn, coach, compare and evaluate driver behaviour even more effectively.  This fully integrated approach is why we are calling it OptiDrive 360 from now on.”

 

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In a time when more and more field service companies are considering moving to  cloud based solution new research from leading market analysts, Juniper Research, suggests that the rapid digitisation of consumers’ lives and enterprise records will increase the cost of data breaches to $2.1 trillion globally by 2019, increasing to almost four times the estimated cost of breaches in 2015....

The research, entitled ‘The Future of Cybercrime & Security: Financial and Corporate Threats & Mitigation’, has found that the majority of these breaches will come from existing IT and network infrastructure. While new threats targeting mobile devices and the IoT (Internet of Things) are being reported at an increasing rate, the number of infected devices is minimal in comparison to more traditional computing devices.

The Cybercrime Economy Driving Action

The report also highlights the increasing professionalism of cybercrime, with the emergence of cybercrime products (i.e. sale of malware creation software) over the past year, as well as the decline in casual activist hacks. Hacktivism has become more successful and less prolific – in future, Juniper expects fewer attacks overall, but more successful ones.

‘Currently, we aren’t seeing much dangerous mobile or IoT malware because it’s not profitable’, noted report author James Moar. ‘The kind of threats we will see on these devices will be either ransomware, with consumers’ devices locked down until they pay the hackers to use their devices, or as part of botnets, where processing power is harnessed as part of a more lucrative hack. With the absence of a direct payout from IoT hacks, there is little motive for criminals to develop the required tools.’

Other key findings include:

• Nearly 60% of anticipated data breaches worldwide in 2015 will occur in North America, but this proportion will decrease over time as other countries become both richer and more digitised.
• The average cost of a data breach in 2020 will exceed $150 million by 2020, as more business infrastructure gets connected.

The whitepaper, ‘Cybercrime and the Internet of Threats’ is available to download from the Juniper website together with further details of the full research.

 

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