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Sokkia introduces the new T-18 handheld controller designed to offer a durable ergonomic solution with faster processing, a larger screen, better connectivity and longer battery life than previously available comparable systems.

The controller includes a 3.7-inch sunlight-readable display with a 1GHz processor, 1GB of internal storage, internal GPS, and up to 10 hours of battery life.

“The T-18 controller is extremely versatile and perfect for driving geo-positioning, construction, mapping and vertical construction applications,” said Ray Kerwin, director of global surveying products, Sokkia. 

The field controller features a 3.5G cellular modem that allows users to access the internet for RTK (real-time kinematic) correction services.

“Additionally, the internal GPS option provides a navigational functionality that is capable of accuracies in the three-meter range. With a 72 channel, all-in-view tracking receiver, it can be used for navigation or general positioning,” said Kerwin.

Other key features include standard Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as an IP65 rating for dust and water protection. Visit Sokkia.com for more information.

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Approximately one in three companies (32 per cent) believe the business use of artificial intelligence will be commonplace within the next decade, new research from TomTom Telematics has revealed.

The study found that 22 per cent believe virtual reality will be in common usage, while around one in five anticipates the prevalence of in-vehicle working due to the development of autonomous vehicles.

However, almost a third (32 per cent) fear they may struggle to keep pace with the rate of technological change. Furthermore, one in two (49 per cent) believe those that fail to embrace digitalised processes and the Internet of Things are at greater risk of going out of business.

“Complacency can sound the death knell for businesses,” said Beverley Wise, director UK & Ireland at TomTom Telematics.

“Companies should be mindful of the pace of change and keep a close eye on the solutions and processes that will help ensure a competitive future – from smart mobility and connected tech to advanced manufacturing and design systems. Many of today’s new emerging technologies will disrupt and revolutionise commerce, and in the process become the standard for tomorrow.”

Almost half of companies (46 per cent) believe remote working has or will become, the norm within the next 10 years. Remote working is currently proving more prevalent among larger companies (58 per cent) than their SMEs counterparts (37 per cent).

“The onus is on businesses, both large and small, to adapt to this new era of hypermobility and connected working that is being ushered in by advancements in areas ranging from telematics and the connected car to iPaaS and blockchain solutions,” added Wise.

“Such connected technologies and unified communication systems are unshackling workers from traditional working patterns - an empowering development that is set to significantly impact productivity and business efficiency.”

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Accomplished industry veteran to lead IFS’s Global Service Management initiatives as IFS, the global enterprise applications company, announces the appointment of field service industry veteran Marne Martin as President of IFS’s Service Management business unit and CEO of WorkWave.

The IFS Service Management business unit established under Marne will encompass the global IFS service management organization as well as WorkWave, acquired by IFS in September 2017, and have dedicated engineering, sales and marketing resources to address the unique needs of service management customers globally. Marne’s experience leading high-growth and expansion phases in both publicly and privately held companies will provide the leadership required to propel both brands into their next stages of growth and market expansion.

]As both President of IFS Service Management and CEO of WorkWave, Marne and her leadership team will continue to elevate the strategic importance of service management to the success of the overall IFS business. Marne will focus on ensuring the entire portfolio of IFS’s service management solutions provide customers with the business value they expect from a global industry leader in field service management (FSM).

“I am thrilled to be leading such a great organization and to be part of the overall IFS senior leadership team as we begin a new chapter in our company’s growth,” said Marne. “WorkWave continues to be an important asset to the overarching value proposition of IFS Service Management, and I look forward to working with the talented IFS and WorkWave teams to make sure IFS’s service management portfolio becomes even more customer-focused.”

With Marne’s appointment to its senior leadership team, IFS will be able to draw on her broad experience and proven track record to further increase the significance of the service business and grow its global market share.

IFS CEO Darren Roos said, “Marne’s domain experience will enable us to further develop the service management capability across the entire portfolio to deliver even more value to our customers. We remain completely focused on delivering solutions together with our partners that have an impact on the way our customers serve their customers.”

Prior to IFS, Marne served as CEO and led the executive leadership team at ServicePower Plc., a field service management software company, where she transformed its go-to-market strategy and shifted its focus to SaaS and managed services revenue, increasing pipeline every year during her tenure. Prior to that, she served as CFO of Norcon, Plc., a UK-based telecom and defense consulting firm, where she grew the company from a business largely dominant in only the Middle East to one diversified across the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Martin is a winner of a number of awards including 2016 CEO Gamechanger of the Year (FSM) from ACQ 5 Global Awards and 2015 Field Service CEO of the Year from Executive Awards.

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According to a new report from the leading IoT market research provider Berg Insight, the number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in North America was 8.0 million in Q4-2017.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.6 percent, this number is expected to reach 16.4 million by 2022. In Latin America, the number of active fleet management systems is expected to increase from 3.0 million in Q4-2017, growing at a CAGR of 13.1 percent to reach 5.5 million in 2022. The top-25 vendors in the Americas together have a combined installed base of more than 7 million active units in the region today. Notably, all of the top-15 players each had more than 100,000 active units in the Americas at the end of 2017.

More than 40 percent of the total number of units deployed in the region is represented by the five largest fleet management vendors alone.

Verizon has in 2018 launched Verizon Connect which represents the culmination of more than US$ 5 billion in investments including high-profile acquisitions such as Fleetmatics and Telogis.

“Verizon Connect is the clear leader in the fleet telematics space both from a global perspective and in the Americas specifically”, said Rickard Anderson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight. Verizon’s closest competitor in the Americas is Geotab which has grown considerably in the past year, followed by Omnitracs and Trimble which have both surpassed 0.5 million active fleet management subscribers in the region. “Zonar Systems rounds off the top-5, just ahead of Michelin which has established a strong position in the Americas through multiple acquisitions”, continued Mr. Andersson.

He adds that the ongoing consolidation trend in the fleet management space is expected to continue in the coming years. Numerous vendors today have more than half a million active FM subscribers worldwide and the milestone of one million subscriptions has now been surpassed by three leading players, driven by growth strategies based on M&A activity and high-pace organic growth.

“Berg Insight anticipates a future scenario where the global fleet management market is dominated by a handful of solution providers with installed bases measured in the millions”, concluded Mr Andersson.

Download report brochure: Fleet Management in the Americas

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SAS Global Communications, a leading provider of managed network and application services, is using an advanced telematics solution from Ctrack, an Inseego company, to enhance fleet performance and reduce operating costs...

Having adopted the Ctrack Online vehicle tracking system last year across a fleet of vans used by a team of engineers in its physical infrastructure division, the company has achieved a host of benefits including a material increase in productivity.

Following a review of the telematics marketplace, SAS selected Ctrack Online based on the usability of the system and its comprehensive reporting capabilities. The company had recognised a need to gain greater visibility and control over its engineers, responsible for the installation of network solutions at private-and public-sector sites across the UK. This has enabled its office-based team to use real-time positioning and vehicle status data to support improved vehicle scheduling and deploy the most appropriate resource to incoming jobs.

Meanwhile, SAS is using the Mobi Driver App, so engineers can record business and private mileage as well as provide supporting notes about individual trips via their smartphones. By electronically capturing this HMRC requirement, the company has been able to streamline administrative processes and replace a paper-based system that previously required information to be collated manually. Ctrack Online’s working time report is also helping SAS to verify time-sheets and overtime claims, resulting in further time and cost savings.

Alvin Thompson, Physical Infrastructure Manager at SAS Managed IT Services commented: “SAS has experienced clear benefits from using Ctrack Online in terms of productivity improvements and cost reduction. We have been impressed with the level of support provided by Ctrack, which ensured the telematics system has been set up to meet our particular requirements and was installed without any disruption to the business. We are already exploring how else to take advantage of its capabilities in terms of driver behaviour monitoring and duty of care compliance.”

Steve Thomas, Managing Director of Ctrack said: “By working closely with our customers we are able to help them deliver significant business benefits and achieve a return on investment. This is a key reason why businesses of all sizes are turning to Ctrack to implement advanced telematics solutions for their fleet operations.”

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"The ability to share a technician’s location and regularly updated time of arrival will improve customer engagement and satisfaction..."

An open ecosystem of best-in-class technologies working seamlessly together will be at the heart of the automated transportation systems of the future.

That is the shared vision of Renovo (Renovo.auto), a mobility software technology company, and HERE Technologies (here.com), a global leader in mapping and location services. Today, the two companies announced that they have entered into a partnership to deploy open interfaces for highly and fully automated vehicles. They believe an open-standards approach will fuel greater interoperability and data exchange across the transportation ecosystem, boosting safety, efficiency and comfort for passengers.

In the first phase of their collaboration, Renovo and HERE are working on a new technology interface to maximize the utility of sensor data generated by fleets of automated vehicles in the ‘self-healing’ of highly precise maps. The companies intend to make the interface available for fleets of highly automated vehicles powered by Renovo’s AWare operating system, enabling them to provide data that can be used to update a service such as HD Live Map, the mapping service for automated vehicles from HERE. This service uses different types of sensor data to identify change in the real world and provide a highly-precise, continuously-updating map across the road network. An automated vehicle equipped with HERE HD Live Map knows exactly where it is and has a better understanding of what lies ahead and what it should do in different scenarios.

"As we build the data infrastructure required for autonomous cars, collaboration between key technology providers and across industries is mandatory..."

As we build the data infrastructure required for autonomous cars, collaboration between key technology providers and across industries is mandatory,” said Edzard Overbeek, CEO of HERE Technologies. “With AWare, Renovo has a powerful operating system for automated vehicles. Our partnership and integration into the AWare ecosystem will help expand access to data that’s vital to building automated mobility systems that people can trust.”

“HERE Technologies is a leading creator of mapping and location services with a bold Autonomous World Vision, and we are delighted to enter into this partnership with them,” said Chris Heiser CEO and Co-Founder of Renovo. “We enable our customers to develop and deploy fleets of highly automated vehicles, and these deployments are made possible by an open ecosystem of best-in-class technologies.”

HERE is a privately held company backed by several investors: Audi, BMW, Bosch, Continental, Daimler, Intel and Pioneer. With this partnership, Renovo is joining one of the largest technology ecosystems in the automotive space.

AWare is already powering highly automated vehicle fleets on public and private roads today including that of Voyage.auto. HERE is the newest addition to the rapidly growing AWare ecosystem which includes Samsung, Verizon, Velodyne LiDAR, Parsons, INRIX, Argus Cyber Security, Affectiva, Phantom Auto, Metamoto, Understand.ai, NIRA Dynamics and Bestmile.

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ERM Advanced Telematics launches StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi, complete Connected Car unit, which integrates advanced vehicle tracking, driver behaviour monitoring, theft prevention, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 4G capabilities in a single device...

International automotive technology provider ERM Advanced Telematics, whose products have been installed in more than 1.5 million vehicles worldwide, has launched the StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi, a versatile telematics product that integrates advanced vehicle tracking, driver behaviour monitoring, theft prevention, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 4G cellular capabilities in a single device. The StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi is the first product under ERM's new Wireless Connect strategy, which aims to use wireless technologies to provide its partners – vehicle fleet management companies, vehicle manufacturers and importers and car insurance companies – with a competitive edge.

The StarLink Tracker is a modular solution that is designed for installation both in vehicles on the production line and in the aftermarket, for vehicles that have left the production line. The StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi turns any vehicle in which it is installed into a Connected Car. The modularity of the product allows to add capabilities anytime, through the use of add-on products provided by ERM or by a third party. This can be done on demand and without any need to replace the StarLink Tracker device, which keeps functioning as the central tracking and communications unit under any such solution.

"The StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi took about a year to develop, and ERM Advanced Telematics has already received its first orders to supply the product from customers in the United States, India and Australia..."

The StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi took about a year to develop, and ERM Advanced Telematics has already received its first orders to supply the product from customers in the United States, India and Australia.

Part of the competitive edge that the new product offers rests on its extended wireless capabilities and on the mere fact that it is designed to be implemented in Connected Car applications. Until now, the installation of many telematics products for vehicle tracking, analysis of various situations and events and driver behaviour diagnostics required wire hook-ups. The StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi and products that ERM Advanced Telematics will launch in the future under its Wireless Connect strategy, can be installed using the installer's standard smartphone which communicates through Bluetooth connection in order to configure the product and perform any required adaptations. All this can be much faster compared to many other telematics devices and with much less hassle that might have arisen due to the need to hook-up and hide wires.

In addition to various wireless capabilities that help track the vehicle and other telematics functions, the StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi is equipped with a microphone and loudspeaker to initiate and receive calls and dial emergency numbers. One application for this can be E-Call (Emergency Call), such as in the European Union or just as an Emergency Call application. When pressing the location unit's emergency button or immediately after an impact above a certain intensity, the unit will allow conversation between the vehicle's occupants and the emergency centre personnel, who can hear what is happening in the vehicle and identify events such as threats against the driver or accidents.

The product will also provide information about the driver's behaviour, including careless driving, accidents, off-road driving, acceleration during turns, speed violations and more, information that can be used by the manager to significantly improve fleet management capabilities, performance and can decrease operational expenses.

"The product will also provide information about the driver's behaviour, including careless driving, accidents, off-road driving, acceleration during turns, speed violations and more, information that can be used by the manager to significantly improve fleet management capabilities, performance and can decrease operational expenses..."

The compact product (about 120 grams) also saves installation time and costs and creates Wi-Fi hotspots in the vehicle for up to eight devices. It features 4G cellular modem, GPS/GLONASS/Galileo location module and an ability to navigate inside underground parking lots or in mines; internal antennas, emergency button support and built-in data logger. Other capabilities are internal management of up to 500 driver ID’s, remote immobilization, wireless connectivity to a wide range of additional ERM and third-party products and many other features. As the core infrastructure for Connected Car applications, the product can integrate to full range of the vehicle's internet connectivity needs, which are provided by the use of the tracking unit's SIM card without the need for any additional SIM card.

The StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi's 4G capability will provide broadband communications for applications such as listening to online music, video consumption or surfing the web during the car ride. The product's Bluetooth capability will enable installers, drivers and end-users to connect mobile devices, receive information and set different configurations without the need for wires.

If required, it is possible to extend the solution which relies on the new product to also include CAN Bus interface and enable users to receive alerts on the information transmitted between the various sensors and the vehicle's computing units.

"One of our paramount objectives, to which we strive daily, is to provide our business partners over the globe with competitive advantages. As a leading company with unique perspective and more than 30 years' experience in the automotive field, ERM relies on its proven technological capabilities in order to provide these advantages to car manufacturers, car fleets' service providers, vehicle importers and other industry players. We help these players establish technological supremacy based on the ability to support a wide range of functionalities, and deliver high performance and operating efficiencies in any market they operate in or intend to operate in," said Eitan Kirshenboim, CMO of ERM Advanced Telematics.

"Our Wireless Connect strategy enables the industry to achieve these objectives simultaneously. The StarLink Tracker with Wi-Fi, as the pioneer product under this strategy, highlights this well. Alongside the product's impressive technological capabilities, its ability to support a growing number of sensors and telematics applications while minimizing the installation time and cost greatly helps our business partners."

Kirshenboim added: "a fleet management service provider who purchases a telematics solution, but pays much more only to install it in a long and complicated process, will find it difficult to achieve a competitive edge. To respond to these problems, the Wireless Connect strategy will strive to reduce the need to use wires during the installation process as much as possible, minimize the installation time and cost of vehicle telematics products, and generate added value to our customers and business partners."

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