New data from Verizon Connect reveals the extent to which commercial drivers in the UK are breaking road traffic safety regulations by failing to take appropriate rest breaks.
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Dec 18, 2019 • News • Verizon • fleet
New data from Verizon Connect reveals the extent to which commercial drivers in the UK are breaking road traffic safety regulations by failing to take appropriate rest breaks.
Nov 22, 2019 • Features • Geotab • Verizon • Verizon Connect • fleet • telematics • Webfleet Solutions
As location-based technology and work scheduling tools merge into a neat mobility package, what role does telematics play in fleet management? Mark Glover asks if the technology has lost its way or does it have the future mapped out?
As location-based technology and work scheduling tools merge into a neat mobility package, what role does telematics play in fleet management? Mark Glover asks if the technology has lost its way or does it have the future mapped out?
Oct 10, 2019 • Features • Fleet Technology • Verizon • Verizon Connect • fleet
Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect says real-time monitoring can pay dividends.
Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect says real-time monitoring can pay dividends.
Sep 30, 2019 • Features • Fleet Technology • Verizon • fleet
In a hyper competitive market, enterprises across every sector are looking for any advantage to get ahead of the competition and meet customers’ expectations. Innovation has become central to success, particularly for enterprises that rely on a...
In a hyper competitive market, enterprises across every sector are looking for any advantage to get ahead of the competition and meet customers’ expectations. Innovation has become central to success, particularly for enterprises that rely on a mobile workforce. Derek Bryan, VP, EMEA at Verizon Connect explains more...
Aug 19, 2019 • Features • Verizon • Verizon Connect • fleet • Fleet Operations • Fleet performance
Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect says pro-cycling's approach to data analytics can be mirrored in fleet handling.
Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect says pro-cycling's approach to data analytics can be mirrored in fleet handling.
Across countless industries, the rise of performance analytics has had a fundamental impact on how organisations assess the contribution of their most valuable assets. Thanks to advances in data collection and analysis, managers now possess an incredible amount of information that they can use to evaluate and inform how their employees and their inventory help support the business’s growth. Likewise, employees now have access to more powerful self-management tools than ever before.
You’d imagine that a Silicon Valley giant or a hot tech start-up would provide the best example of an organisation doing this well. But you’d be wrong. It’s actually professional cycling that throws up one of the best examples, thanks to teams’ innovative and relentless use of data. As seen in last month’s Tour de France, every single aspect of their organisation is tailored towards giving their employees out in the field – their riders – every opportunity to perform at the highest possible level.
If performance analytics can be applied with this degree of success within a sporting context – where there is always great scope for uncertainty – then why can’t it be deployed to the benefit of those who manage fleets of vehicles? There are numerous techniques and methodologies that fleet managers can adopt from top road cycling teams to help replicate their success.
These techniques are all founded on one underlying technology that can drive business benefits for fleets of all sizes. Fleet management solutions have become increasingly popular in recent years as a tool to help monitor the health and performance of both vehicles and drivers. Simply deploying a fleet management solution, however, isn’t sufficient. Driving improvements at an enterprise and manager level requires businesses to act on the intelligence and insights collected and generated by these platforms to change their ways of working. In doing so, they deliver productivity and cost benefits for the entire business.
Here are four learnings fleet managers can take from professional cycling to drive performance across their business:
1. Drive greater performance from your employees
Professional cycling leads the way in performance and data analysis. By profiling and measuring every aspect of a cyclist’s performance – from their physiology to their diet, to their riding style – professional cycling organisations identify exactly what they can do to improve a rider’s performance. Whether that be changing their equipment, encouraging them to adapt their riding style/position, or adding or removing an item from their list of approved foods.You’d imagine that a Silicon Valley giant or a hot tech start-up would provide the best example of an organisation doing this well. But you’d be wrong. It’s actually professional cycling that throws up one of the best examples, thanks to teams’ innovative and relentless use of data. As seen in last month’s Tour de France, every single aspect of their organisation is tailored towards giving their employees out in the field – their riders – every opportunity to perform at the highest possible level.
If performance analytics can be applied with this degree of success within a sporting context – where there is always great scope for uncertainty – then why can’t it be deployed to the benefit of those who manage fleets of vehicles? There are numerous techniques and methodologies that fleet managers can adopt from top road cycling teams to help replicate their success.
These techniques are all founded on one underlying technology that can drive business benefits for fleets of all sizes. Fleet management solutions have become increasingly popular in recent years as a tool to help monitor the health and performance of both vehicles and drivers. Simply deploying a fleet management solution, however, isn’t sufficient. Driving improvements at an enterprise and manager level requires businesses to act on the intelligence and insights collected and generated by these platforms to change their ways of working. In doing so, they deliver productivity and cost benefits for the entire business.
Here are four learnings fleet managers can take from professional cycling to drive performance across their business:
1. Drive greater performance from your employees
Using fleet management technologies, fleets can monitor how their employees are performing on the road, and pinpoint specific parts of their performance or schedule that can be improved to drive efficiency for the business. For example, a fleet manager could advise a driver to reduce their speeding or refrain from harsh braking, based on analysis of their driving style, to reduce fuel usage. They could also encourage their driver to turn off their engine when in traffic or stationary on a job to reduce the vehicle’s emissions and fuel costs. Seat belt usage or acceleration are other performance areas that can be monitored as part of a constant feedback loop with drivers. Maintaining this loop is critical to driving higher, more efficient performance across their fleet of vehicles.
2. Give your team the tools to win
Every cyclist is only as good as the cycle they are riding, and as a result, cyclists will often use different bikes based on the specific demands of a race or stage. This approach should be the same for your drivers in the field.
Fleets can benefit from this approach by using fleet management systems to provide drivers the right vehicle for the job, based on its requirements. This means using fleet management platforms to allocate drivers the right vehicle for the job (whether an HGV, LCV or even an SUV) based on the amount of space required for a delivery, or the tools required to complete a job. It could also mean making sure the vehicle has the required number of occupants needed for a specific task, or verifying that it is compliant with local emissions regulations in the area where the job is located.
Certain vehicles can also be allocated to jobs based on the technological tools within the vehicle’s cab, such as on-board dashcams or handsfree connectivity tools, to allow drivers on the road to benefit from technology without disrupting their workflows.
3. Take one for the team
Within the cycling world, the ‘peloton’ is well known for working as a group to allow cyclists to cycle as efficiently and use as little energy as possible. Fleets can do the same by using fleet management platforms to review their routing and scheduling. These solutions allow them to both allocate and schedule jobs based on the most suitable candidate and vehicle, and calculate the most efficient route. Doing this allows drivers to work in harmony to deliver an efficient and effective service to customers.
4. Commit to conditioning
Today’s athletes pay more attention to their own conditioning than ever before. Professional cyclists have almost every aspect of their physiology monitored by their team while they are on their bike, including their heart rate, current load levels and workload threshold.
This monitoring is essential to managing the performance of cyclists, and ensuring they are not overburdened, which can lead to injury. Fleet managers can replicate this process by making use of the vehicle monitoring/diagnostics tools within fleet management systems to keep tabs on the condition of vehicles in their fleet so that they are fit for the job at hand. If not, managers can proactively schedule maintenance of a vehicle and shift its workload onto other vehicles in the network to reduce disruption and help fulfil customers’ demands on time.
Today, the most successful businesses are those that monitor performance and maximise efficiency both inside and outside of its traditional four walls. Many sports have already adopted this mindset, and it’s time fleet managers do the same. When a vehicle leaves the depot, it should no longer be considered an external asset – rather, it should be considered as an extension of the business, and as critical a workplace as the desk of the CEO.
Today, the most successful businesses are those that monitor performance and maximise efficiency both inside and outside of its traditional four walls. Many sports have already adopted this mindset, and it’s time fleet managers do the same. When a vehicle leaves the depot, it should no longer be considered an external asset – rather, it should be considered as an extension of the business, and as critical a workplace as the desk of the CEO.
Feb 28, 2019 • Features • Verizon • fleet management • Geofencing
Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect suggests geofencing could prevent fleet drivers being in the wrong place at the wrong time, avoiding costly penalties.
Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect suggests geofencing could prevent fleet drivers being in the wrong place at the wrong time, avoiding costly penalties.
In April 2019, London’s congestion charge will evolve, bringing in new, tighter regulations on exhaust emission standards and a revised fee for vehicle registration as part of the new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). While the ULEZ represents an important step forward in the UK’s efforts to limit pollution, fleet managers and operations teams will need to factor the revised regulations into route planning and operations for commercial vehicles travelling into London.
In an industry driven by operational efficiency and narrow margins, the planning for ULEZ (and its potential expansion) will become an additional item on a manager’s to-do list. Geofences are one tool fleet managers can use to help reduce penalties incurred by drivers inadvertently entering the ULEZ with a non-compliant vehicle by providing near-real-time alerts when a driver approaches a geofenced zone. It can also help reduce the extra time spent factoring the ULEZ into route planning by clearly marking the area in navigation systems.
What is Geofencing?
Geofences are virtual perimeters set up around physical locations that can be categorised and clearly labelled on in-cab navigation systems to inform drivers of any areas which they should avoid entering. Geofences are created using mapping software, which allows the user to draw the geofence over the desired area. It is made up of a collection of coordinates (latitude and longitude), or in the case of a circular geofence, one point that forms the centre. They can also be applied to areas of a range of different sizes, from the size of a warehouse yard to city areas and individual routes.
Geofences are an indispensable tool for fleet managers in need of greater control and visibility over the location of vehicles. A geofence violation report tells you which vehicles have entered or exited a geofence, allowing you to see which drivers are making unauthorized trips. This information can then be used to create new policies regarding the use of company vehicles and enforce existing policies on a regular basis. Geofences can also help fleet managers to proactively resolve geofence violations with great speed and efficiency using alerts sent in near-real time via email or text message when a vehicle exits or enters a geofence.
More intelligent and more efficient operations
Setting virtual boundaries via geofencing is specifically helpful for businesses with on-demand business structures managing fleets of vehicles within a specified area. To keep time traveling between jobs to a minimum, drivers can be easily assigned to specific zones based on area demand, traffic density, vehicle capacity and in this instance, if it is within ULEZ conditions. As a result, fleets can be compartmentalised into sub-groups of drivers or vehicles suited to a specific area.
"Geofences are an indispensable tool for managers in need of greater control over the location of vehicles..."
Geofencing is used to curate and categorise job sites by location, reducing the need to sift through thousands of points of interest by hand. However, geofencing jobs can not only cut down on manual categorisation. A business can potential unlock real ROI when the software automatically provides rankings, vital statistics and stop-by-stop details for fleet managers. Using this key data, business leaders can optimise routes and glean insight to apply to the organization, ultimately saving money.
A smarter and more holistic fleet management system
A number of recent technological advancements are helping to enable a wide range of new business use cases in the fleet management space. In-vehicle sensor technology, greater data analytics capabilities and enhanced mobile communications enable businesses to expand fleet management beyond just vehicles and have greater visibility on drivers themselves and the assets they carry.When used in combination with a holistic solution such as Mobile Resource Management (MRM), geofences can help verify that drivers aren’t taking on trips that would require more time than they are contracted, or trips that would prevent drivers from taking important rest breaks. Reports clearly show how many hours a driver has worked during a given time period, confirm any overtime costs and improve productivity overall.
A digital solution for a modern business
A lot of managers are unaware of what’s really happening out in the field. That can mean missed opportunities, poor productivity or unnecessary costs. Geofences can help change that, with a full 360-degree view of a fleet’s daily operations. With the right technology, fleet managers can have the visibility necessary to know what’s going on in the field so you can build efficiencies and reduce costs, an imperative for fleets both large and small.
Derek Bryan is VP EMEA at Verizon Connect.
Jul 30, 2018 • News • 4G • 4GLTE • 5G • Future of FIeld Service • mobile computing • mobile internet • Verizon • Yossi Cohen • Ed Chan • Ericsson • field service • field service management • Service Management
With mobile computing and field service operations now becoming inextribably linked many field service organisations will benefit greatly from the full 4G coverage and in the not so distant future 5G could possibly make interactions between the...
With mobile computing and field service operations now becoming inextribably linked many field service organisations will benefit greatly from the full 4G coverage and in the not so distant future 5G could possibly make interactions between the field and the back office lightning fast and seamless. It will, therefore, be of interest to US field service organisations that Ericsson announced last week that the company has increased its U.S. footprint by expanding its 4G partnership with Verizon to include new markets.
This extended partnership includes Ericsson Radio System 4G LTE equipment which, in addition to enabling the latest advances in 4G LTE capabilities, will provide a 5G-ready platform that will allow Verizon to rapidly transition sites to 5G when they deploy the service in those markets.
The new markets will be deployed using Ericsson’s latest baseband and dual-band radios, an optimized solution for widescale high-capacity deployment. The solution will be software upgradeable to 5G and will deliver CAT-M and NB-IoT for Massive Internet of Things use cases, as well as industry-leading network capacity.
Verizon and Ericsson have partnered closely to drive the evolution of LTE by using LTE-Advanced features, enhancing capacity and speed on the Verizon 4G LTE network. In 2017, Verizon and Ericsson used these latest technologies to hit several industry milestones, including:
- Achieved 953 Mbps by combining licensed and unlicensed bands with four-carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO and 256 QAM in a real-world network environment in Florida
- Exceeded 1 Gbps speeds on the Verizon 4G LTE network using three-carrier aggregation
Verizon and Ericsson reached another milestone in 4G LTE-Advanced technologies that will serve as a stepping stone to 5G by completing their first deployment of FDD (Frequency Division Duplexing) Massive MIMO (Multiple Input – Multiple Output) on Verizon’s wireless network in Irvine, CA.
Ed Chan, Senior Vice President of Technology, Strategy, and Planning, Verizon, says: “We continue to be committed to bringing the best network to Verizon customers. Working with Ericsson allows us to deploy the latest technologies on our 4G LTE-Advanced network will be an important component of our rapid transition to 5G.”
This 4G LTE deployment will improve both spectral and energy efficiency, increasing network capacity for current devices in the market.Yossi Cohen, Head of Customer Unit Verizon, Ericsson North America, says: “We continue to work closely with Verizon to expand the strategic partnership between our companies, enabling Verizon to unleash the latest in 4G technology and simultaneously prepare to launch 5G in these new markets.”
This 4G LTE deployment will improve both spectral and energy efficiency, increasing network capacity for current devices in the market. Further enhancements are expected as the 5G ecosystem evolves. For customers, the result will be faster speeds for using apps and uploading and downloading files.
To prepare for 5G, Ericsson has released its first commercial 5G RAN software, allowing operators to turn on 5G in commercial networks when ready. In addition, the installed base of Ericsson Radio System radios from 2015 onwards can run 5G NR technology with a simple remote software installation.
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Jan 24, 2018 • Fleet Technology • News • fleet technology • Mergers and Acquisitions • Movildata • Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. has announced the acquisition of Movildata Internacional, a Murcia, Spain-based provider of commercial fleet management solutions. Terms of the transaction, which closed on Jan. 19, 2018, have not been disclosed.
Verizon Communications Inc. has announced the acquisition of Movildata Internacional, a Murcia, Spain-based provider of commercial fleet management solutions. Terms of the transaction, which closed on Jan. 19, 2018, have not been disclosed.
Verizon Telematics is an established leader across Europe with a strong presence in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Poland. Movildata, an established industry leader in Spain, complements Verizon Telematics’ expanding operations in southern Europe, specifically Portugal and Italy. “We see Movildata as a natural fit and highly synergistic with our European business,” said Andrés Irlando, CEO of Verizon Telematics. “This strategic acquisition strengthens Verizon Telematics’ market position, accelerates growth and allows us to expand the footprint of our market-leading solutions and services.”
With more than five million commercial vehicles, Spain represents the second largest market for commercial vehicles in Western EuropeWith more than five million commercial vehicles, Spain represents the second largest market for commercial vehicles in Western Europe according to leading industry analyst firm Berg Insight.1 Furthermore, the market for fleet management solutions is significantly underpenetrated compared to other major markets in Europe, creating opportunities for growth.
Movildata employees have joined the Verizon Telematics team and will continue to drive sales and support for its current fleet management products. In addition, Verizon Telematics plans to add Fleetmatics’ REVEAL™ to the portfolio of software solutions available to Spanish fleet operators. Verizon Telematics provides world-class vehicle tracking and business intelligence solutions designed to help generate cost savings, improve productivity and help monitor driver safety for virtually any mobile workforce.
“We are proud of what the company has accomplished in this market, and we know that with this transaction our success will continue,” said Luis Enrique Rodrigo, CEO of Movildata. “Verizon Telematics’ expansive global reach and robust portfolio of technologies and solutions will allow us to grow the business in Spain and expand our customer service to the next level.”
1Source: Berg Insight “Fleet Management in Europe, M2M Research Series” (2017)
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Jun 23, 2016 • News • connected vehicles • mobility platform • Verizon • Telgogis
Verizon Communications is acquiring mobility software platform specialist Telogis to enhance its connected vehicle business.
Verizon Communications is acquiring mobility software platform specialist Telogis to enhance its connected vehicle business.
Seeking to add best-in-class Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology and services, specifically in the connected vehicle and mobile enterprise management sectors—as well as expanded distribution relationships—to its Verizon Telematics subsidiary, Verizon Communications Inc. has announced it is to buy privately-owned Telogis, Inc., the Californian-based mobility software platform specialist.
“With a comprehensive enterprise product portfolio and partnerships with some of the world’s leading vehicle and equipment manufacturers, Telogis brings a world-class software platform and new distribution relationships to Verizon Telematics’ already expansive suite of connected vehicle solutions for consumers and enterprise customers,” said Andrés Irlando, CEO of Verizon Telematics. “The combined strengths of our two companies’ unique assets better enable us to deliver best-in-class mobile enterprise management services to customers globally, while building scale and accelerating market share. I’m confident that the passion and talent of our collective employees will continue to drive revenue growth and product innovations to shape and lead the industry for years to come.”
“Verizon provides the brand equity, strength in the market, broad infrastructure and expansive global reach to take Telogis to the next level,” said David Cozzens, CEO, Telogis. “This strategic acquisition positions our collective technologies and services uniquely in the market while also enabling Verizon Telematics’ industry-leading business to benefit from Telogis’ unmatched strength in the enterprise market, innovative Mobile Enterprise Management software platform and our strong OEM and ecosystem partnerships.”
Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2016.
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