The number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in Europe was 14.8 million at the end of 2022, according to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.4 percent, this number is expected to reach 26.5 million by 2027. The top-38 vendors have today more than 100,000 active units in Europe.

Berg Insight ranks Targa Telematics as the largest player in terms of active installed base with around 710,000 units at year-end 2022. Weebfleet’s subscriber base has grown both organically and by acquisitions during the past years and the company holds the position as the second largest provider of fleet management solutions on the European market and reached an installed base of about 680,000 units. Verizon Connect is in third place and had achieved an installed base of an estimated 490,000 units at the year-end. Calamp and Radius Telematics follow and have reached 400,000 units and 382,000 units respectively. Scania, ABAX, Gurtam, Bornemann and AddSecure Smart Transport are also ranked among the ten largest providers with 250,000–380,000 units each. Some notable players just outside of the top ten list are MICHELIN Connected Fleet, Geotab, Transics, Quartix, Eurowag Telematics, Viasat, Linqo, Microlise, Daimler Truck, Océan (Orange), Volvo, Macnil, GSGroup, RAM Tracking, MAN, Cartrack, Fleet Complete, Trimble, Optimum Automotive, Shiftmove, AROBS Transilvania Software, Inseego, Infobric Fleet and Mapon. The HCV manufacturers are now growing their subscriber bases considerably thanks to standard line fitment of fleet management solutions. Dynafleet by Volvo, FleetBoard by Daimler Truck and Scania Fleet Management are the most successful with active subscriber bases of 162,000 units, 170,000 units and 379,000 units in Europe respectively at the end of 2022.

The consolidation trend on this market continued in 2023.

Johan Fagerberg, Principal Analyst, said:

“Seven mergers and acquisitions have taken place so far this year among the vendors of fleet management systems in Europe”

In January, Coyote became majority owner of Ubiwan (51 percent). After the change in ownership, the fleet management business of Coyote has now become part of the Ubiwan business. In the same month, Vimcar and Avrios were acquired by Battery Ventures and consequently merged, resulting in a new company called Shiftmove. In February, private equity firm Idico acquired a majority stake in Simpliciti. In May, Targa Telematics acquired Viasat Group. The new larger group will have offices in eight key European countries: Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, the UK, Belgium, Poland and Romania. Mapon acquired CarCops based in Estonia in the same month which will expand the business in the country considerably. Addsecure Smart Transport acquired in October the Clifford Group which includes Traxgo, a Belgium-based company offering systems for tracking of vehicles, machines and equipment. Finally, Powerfleet and MiX Telematics announced in October an agreement to form a combined business which will be branded as Powerfleet. The transaction is expected to close in Q1-2024. Mr. Fagerberg anticipates that the market consolidation of the still overcrowded industry will continue in 2024.

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The Internet of Things (IoT) has been a game-changer in countless industries, and one area where its impact has been particularly profound is in telematics. Telematics, the integration of telecommunications and informatics, is the technology behind vehicle tracking, monitoring, and management. With the infusion of IoT, telematics has undergone a remarkable transformation, providing enhanced capabilities and ushering in a new era of connected transportation and beyond.

Telematics: A Brief Overview

Telematics has been a critical component in industries such as fleet management, logistics, and automotive. It involves the use of sensors, GPS technology, and telecommunications to monitor and collect data about vehicles, their locations, driver behavior, and engine performance. Telematics systems use this data to offer valuable insights into vehicle operations, which can improve safety, efficiency, and reduce costs.

Traditionally, telematics systems were based on proprietary hardware and software, often limiting their scalability and adaptability. However, the incorporation of IoT has disrupted this landscape, offering a wide array of new possibilities.

The Role of IoT in Telematics

IoT is the natural evolution of telematics, bringing connectivity, scalability, and intelligence to vehicle tracking and management. By incorporating a wide range of IoT devices and connectivity options, telematics applications have become more versatile and valuable. Here are some key ways in which IoT is transforming telematics:

1. Real-time Data

IoT-enabled telematics systems provide real-time data on vehicle location, speed, and status. This information is critical for monitoring fleets, responding to emergencies, and improving operational efficiency.

2. Remote Diagnostics

IoT sensors can continuously monitor a vehicle’s health and performance. When anomalies are detected, such as engine issues or low tire pressure, the system can alert the driver or fleet manager in real-time. This early diagnosis prevents breakdowns, reduces maintenance costs, and keeps vehicles on the road.

3. Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance is one of the significant advantages of IoT-enabled telematics. By analyzing data from various sensors and the vehicle’s performance history, the system can predict when maintenance is needed. This ensures that maintenance is performed exactly when it’s required, reducing downtime and saving costs.

4. Driver Behavior Monitoring

IoT-powered telematics can monitor driver behavior, promoting safer driving practices. The system can track speed, acceleration, braking, and other behaviors, providing data that can be used for training and safety improvement. This not only reduces accidents but also lowers insurance premiums.

5. Fuel Efficiency

IoT telematics systems can monitor fuel consumption and provide insights into improving fuel efficiency. This is crucial for fleet management, as even a small increase in fuel efficiency can result in substantial cost savings.

6. Route Optimization

By analyzing traffic and road conditions in real-time, telematics systems can optimize routes for vehicles. This reduces travel time, lowers fuel consumption, and improves delivery times.

7. Asset Tracking

IoT telematics goes beyond just vehicles. It can also track valuable assets and cargo, ensuring their safety and security during transport.

8. Compliance and Reporting

Telematics systems are essential for compliance with regulatory requirements. IoT technology simplifies reporting and record-keeping, helping businesses meet their obligations more efficiently.

Telematics in Various Industries

The applications of IoT-powered telematics extend beyond the traditional fleet management and automotive sectors. Here’s how it is making a difference in various industries:

1. Logistics and Transportation

The logistics industry has been one of the primary beneficiaries of IoT-enabled telematics. Real-time tracking and data analysis help logistics companies streamline their operations, optimize routes, and enhance customer service.

2. Construction and Heavy Equipment

IoT telematics is being used to monitor the health and usage of construction equipment. This ensures that machines are maintained promptly, reducing downtime and improving productivity.

3. Agriculture

IoT telematics solutions are used in agriculture for tracking farm equipment, monitoring soil conditions, and optimizing crop management. This data-driven approach improves crop yields and resource utilization.

4. Healthcare

In healthcare, IoT-enabled telematics is used for patient transportation and the delivery of medical supplies. It ensures timely and secure transportation, which is crucial in healthcare settings.

5. Public Transportation

Public transportation systems use IoT telematics to improve the efficiency of bus and train services. Real-time tracking allows passengers to plan their journeys more effectively.

Challenges and Considerations

While the integration of IoT into telematics brings numerous benefits, it also presents challenges and considerations:

1. Data Security

IoT telematics systems collect vast amounts of data, including sensitive information about vehicle locations and driver behavior. Protecting this data from cyber threats and unauthorized access is of paramount importance.

2. Standardization

IoT telematics solutions must adhere to common standards and protocols to ensure interoperability and compatibility across devices and systems.

3. Privacy

Users and drivers should have control over their data. Transparency in data usage and privacy policies is crucial.

4. Cost

While the long-term benefits of IoT telematics are significant, the initial cost of implementing the technology can be a barrier for some businesses, particularly small ones.

The Future of IoT in Telematics

As technology continues to evolve, the future of IoT in telematics looks promising. Here are some trends and developments to watch for:

1. Enhanced Connectivity

The rollout of 5G networks will provide faster and more reliable connectivity for IoT devices, enabling even more real-time data transmission and analysis.

2. Autonomous Vehicles

IoT-enabled telematics is a critical component in the development of autonomous vehicles. These vehicles rely on a multitude of sensors and data streams for navigation and decision-making.

3. Smart Cities Integration

IoT telematics will become an integral part of smart city initiatives, improving traffic management, reducing congestion, and enhancing urban transportation.

4. Advanced Analytics

The future of IoT in telematics will feature more advanced analytics, including machine learning and AI, to gain deeper insights and make predictive recommendations.

Conclusion

IoT has revolutionized the telematics industry, transforming the way vehicles are tracked, managed, and maintained. The integration of IoT into telematics systems provides real-time data, predictive maintenance, and insights into driver behavior, among many other benefits.

As the technology continues to advance, IoT in telematics will play a crucial role in making transportation safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. Challenges related to data security, standardization, and privacy must be addressed to ensure that the benefits of IoT telematics are fully realized. In the coming years, IoT-powered telematics will continue to drive innovation in transportation and numerous other industries, making our world more connected and efficient.

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Fleet management is a crucial aspect of various industries, from logistics and transportation to delivery services and construction. The ability to monitor and optimize a fleet of vehicles can significantly impact an organization’s efficiency and profitability. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), fleet management has undergone a transformation, offering real-time tracking, predictive maintenance, and improved safety measures. In this article, we will explore the impact of IoT on fleet management, its key applications, benefits, and the future of connected fleets.

IoT in Fleet Management

Fleet management involves overseeing a fleet of vehicles, such as trucks, delivery vans, or construction equipment. Traditionally, it relied on manual processes, paper records, and limited real-time data. The integration of IoT technology has revolutionized fleet management by providing a constant stream of data and real-time insights into vehicle location, health, and driver behavior.

Key Applications of IoT in Fleet Management

1. Real-Time Vehicle Tracking

IoT enables real-time vehicle tracking using GPS and other sensors. Fleet managers can monitor the exact location of each vehicle in the fleet, allowing for route optimization and efficient dispatching.

2. Predictive Maintenance

IoT sensors on vehicles can monitor the health and performance of critical components. By analyzing data on engine status, tire pressure, and other factors, fleet managers can predict maintenance needs and schedule repairs before a breakdown occurs, reducing downtime and costs.

3. Driver Behavior Monitoring

IoT-powered devices can track driver behavior, including speed, acceleration, braking, and adherence to safety guidelines. This data is invaluable for improving driver safety, reducing accidents, and enhancing fuel efficiency.

4. Fuel Efficiency

IoT can be used to monitor fuel consumption and provide insights into improving fuel efficiency. For example, data on idling time, engine performance, and route optimization can help reduce fuel costs.

5. Route Optimization

IoT devices collect data on traffic conditions, road closures, and other factors that impact route planning. Fleet managers can use this data to optimize routes in real time, reducing travel time and fuel consumption.

6. Inventory Management

In the case of delivery or service fleets, IoT can help manage inventory on board. Sensors can track the quantity and condition of goods, ensuring that the right products are available and minimizing losses.

Benefits of IoT in Fleet Management

The integration of IoT in fleet management offers numerous advantages:

1. Real-Time Visibility

IoT provides real-time data on the location and condition of fleet vehicles. This allows for immediate response to incidents or changing conditions, resulting in improved operational efficiency.

2. Predictive Maintenance

By predicting maintenance needs, IoT-enabled fleet management reduces downtime and prevents costly breakdowns. It also extends the lifespan of vehicles and equipment.

3. Improved Safety

IoT devices monitor driver behavior, enhancing safety by encouraging responsible driving practices. Reduced accidents not only improve safety but also lower insurance premiums.

4. Cost Savings

Efficiency gains and reduced maintenance costs lead to substantial cost savings for organizations managing fleets. Additionally, improved fuel efficiency further contributes to cost reduction.

5. Enhanced Productivity

IoT-driven fleet management applications optimize processes, reduce downtime, and streamline operations. This results in increased productivity and improved resource allocation.

Challenges and Considerations

While IoT in fleet management offers numerous benefits, it also poses challenges and considerations:

1. Data Security and Privacy

The collection and transmission of sensitive data, including vehicle location and driver behavior, raise concerns about data security and privacy. Robust security measures must be in place to protect this information.

2. Standardization

Interoperability and standardization are essential for ensuring that IoT devices from various manufacturers can communicate effectively. Common protocols and standards are necessary for seamless integration.

3. Regulatory Compliance

The use of IoT in fleet management must adhere to regulatory requirements, particularly regarding driver privacy and data handling.

4. Data Overload

The continuous collection of data from numerous vehicles can result in information overload. Organizations need effective tools for data management and interpretation to extract valuable insights.

5. Workforce Training

The successful adoption of IoT in fleet management often requires workforce training and a cultural shift within organizations.

The Future of IoT in Fleet Management

As technology continues to advance, the future of IoT in fleet management looks promising. Here are some trends and developments to watch for:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

IoT and AI will work together to analyze vast amounts of fleet data, offering insights for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and route optimization.

2. Edge Computing

Edge computing, which involves processing data closer to the data source, will become more prevalent. This reduces latency and can be crucial for applications that require rapid decision-making.

3. 5G Connectivity

The rollout of 5G networks will provide faster and more reliable connectivity for IoT devices, enabling real-time data transmission and better support for fleet management applications.

4. Autonomous Vehicles

IoT-enabled fleet management will play a crucial role in the development of autonomous vehicles. These vehicles rely on a multitude of sensors and real-time data for navigation and decision-making.

5. Blockchain Technology

Blockchain can be used to enhance the security and integrity of fleet management data, ensuring that data remains accurate and private.

Conclusion

The Internet of Things is revolutionizing fleet management by providing real-time visibility, predictive insights, and automation. Challenges related to data security, standardization, and workforce training must be addressed to ensure that the benefits of IoT in fleet management are fully realized.

As IoT technology continues to evolve, it will remain a driving force in fleet management, offering a glimpse into a future where organizations have unprecedented control and visibility over their fleets, leading to increased efficiency, cost savings, and improved safety.

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According to a new research report from the leading IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in South Africa reached an estimated 2.1 million in Q4-2022.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2 percent, this number is expected to reach 3.8 million by 2027.

South Africa is a relatively mature telematics market and the penetration rate is comparably high from an international perspective. Far from all deployments are however full-scale advanced fleet management solutions. A notable share of the installed fleet telematics systems on the South African market is represented by comparably low-end tracking systems, e.g. light FM solutions, including SVR systems extended with basic FM features.

The South African fleet management market is clearly dominated by five domestic players with broad telematics portfolios that together represent 70 percent of the total number of fleet management systems in use in the country.

Rickard Andersson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight, said:

“Berg Insight ranks Cartrack, Tracker and MiX Telematics as the largest providers of fleet management solutions in South Africa.”

He adds that Cartrack alone has more than half a million active FM units in the country.

“The remaining top-5 players are Ctrack and Netstar”, continued Mr. Andersson.

Other top-10 players on the South African fleet management market include local providers such as Bidtrack (Bidvest Group), Digicell and GPS Tracking Solutions (Eqstra Fleet Management), as well as international players including Webfleet (Bridgestone) and Gurtam. Lytx, Autotrak, Digital Matter, Scania and Powerfleet (Pointer SA) are additional top-15 providers, all having estimated installed bases of at least 15,000 fleet management units in the country. Players just outside of the top list include Key Telematics/Radius Payment Solutions, Geotab, Mtrack (Electronic Tracking Systems), iCAM Video Telematics, FleetCam and Globaltrack.

“In addition to Scania, comparably large installed bases of OEM fleet telematics systems in South Africa have also been achieved by manufacturers such as Daimler Truck, UD Trucks and Volvo Trucks”, concluded Mr. Andersson.

The new study also includes an outlook on the overall African market. Africa is clearly a highly diverse geographic region from a fleet management perspective. The continent can in general be divided into three subregions – South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) and Northern Africa. The South African fleet telematics market is far ahead of the rest of the continent in terms of adoption, whereas Sub-Saharan Africa is the least developed region if excluding South Africa. Northern Africa is comparably advanced and well ahead of Sub-Saharan Africa when it comes to fleet telematics penetration, though still quite a bit behind South Africa.

The African fleet management market beyond South Africa is by many industry representatives described as challenging. The weak economic conditions and foreign exchange rate fluctuations in combination with the unstable political climate make the Rest of Africa market a challenging business environment overall. There are however promising prospects for players adapting to the local market dynamics as the Rest of Africa market has considerably more untapped opportunity than what South Africa can offer at this stage.

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Berg Insight, the leading IoT market research provider, today released a new market study covering the material handling equipment (MHE) telematics market.

An increasing share of material handling equipment such as forklifts are now equipped with telematics-enabled fleet management systems. Europe and North America represent advanced telematics markets in this segment. Berg Insight estimates that the installed base of active material handling equipment telematics systems in Europe reached more than 0.9 million units in 2022. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.6 percent, the active installed base is forecasted to reach 2.0 million units in Europe by 2027.

In North America, the installed base of active material handling equipment telematics systems is estimated to over 0.5 million units in 2022. The active installed base is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.8 percent to reach 1.2 million material handling equipment telematics systems in North America in 2027.

“Material handling equipment telematics systems have been offered by equipment manufacturers and aftermarket providers alike for decades”, said Rickard Andersson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight. He adds that Berg Insight ranks Linde Material Handling (KION Group) and Toyota Material Handling (Toyota Industries) as the largest providers of material handling equipment telematics solutions. Including the sister brands STILL (KION Group) and Raymond (Toyota Industries) respectively, both groups have installed bases of several hundred thousand units deployed on forklifts and similar. “Toyota Industries and KION are also established as the leading manufacturers of forklifts”, continued Mr. Andersson.

Additional top players include Jungheinrich and Crown Equipment, both having estimated installed bases of over 100,000 active units, followed by Speedshield Technologies which is primarily a supplier to Hyster-Yale Group (HYG). Other leading aftermarket solution providers include Powerfleet and GemOne.

“Diverse players such as Davis Derby, EC2E, Collective Intelligence, Komatsu, Litum, Kiwitron and ELOKON are also active in this space, all having installed bases of more than 10,000 units for material handling equipment such as forklifts”, concluded Mr. Andersson.

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Berg Insight today released new findings about the market for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) for electric buses.

The market value for electric bus ITS deployed in European public transport operations was € 57.1 million in 2022. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39 percent, this number is expected to reach € 297.2 million by 2027. The North American market for electric bus ITS is similarly forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 30 percent from € 15.5 million in 2022 to reach € 58.2 million in 2027.

Berg Insight is of the opinion that the market for ITS solutions for electric buses is in a growth phase which will last for several years to come. Mega-challenges such as urbanisation, climate change and traffic congestion continue to encourage investments in electric buses and ITS, contributing to a positive outlook for the market.

Some ITS players offer complete turnkey solutions including functionality for most of the ITS applications for electric buses utilised by public transport operators, but many vendors on the market are also specialised ITS players focusing on a few sub-systems. Major international ITS players such as INIT, IVU, Clever Devices and Trapeze can provide turnkey solutions, including solutions for electric buses. ITS providers are beginning to see larger scale implementations of electric bus fleets after several years of mostly pilot projects with only a few vehicles each.

One of the leading telematics providers in Europe and North America for electric buses is ChargePoint, following its acquisition of Dutch ViriCiti in 2021. ChargePoint has increased its footprint in the fleet segment significantly and added both hardware and software solutions for the management of buses to its portfolio of charging station hardware, software and services. Other important vendors serving public transport companies with different types of solutions include the French group EQUANS through the subsidiary Ineo Systrans, as well as the Scandinavian companies Consat Telematics, FARA and Saga Tenix. The Canadian company GIRO is an important player in the scheduling and planning segment, while PSI Transcom is a prominent provider of depot and charging management software in Europe.

“Implementations of electric bus fleets are really starting to take off and there are already several cities in Europe with fleets operating over 100 electric buses”, said Caspar Jansson, IoT Analyst, Berg Insight.

The integration of electric buses and charging stations increases the need for ITS solutions connecting all the necessary infrastructure including electric buses, charging stations and depots. Many operators and agencies start by investing in a basic monitoring solution, but as the bus fleets go from pilot projects to larger deployments, the actors need to complement with additional subsystems for dispatching, scheduling, charging station management and depot management.

Mr. Jansson concluded:

“Operators face greater complexity with large electric vehicle fleets. Optimizing routes and supplying the required energy at the right time to the right vehicle is significantly easier with a modern ITS solution for electrified fleets.”

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Berg Insight, the leading IoT market research provider, today released a new market study covering the video telematics market.

The integration of cameras to enable various video-based solutions in commercial vehicle environments is a massive trend in the fleet telematics sector.

Berg Insight’s definition of video telematics includes a broad range of camera-based solutions deployed in commercial vehicle fleets either as standalone applications or as an added feature set to conventional fleet telematics.

The frontrunning North American video telematics market is more than three times the size of the European, which is so far largely dominated by activities in the UK. Berg Insight estimates that the installed base of active video telematics systems in North America reached almost 3.9 million units in 2022. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.0 percent, the active installed base is forecasted to reach 8.8 million units in North America by 2027.

In Europe, the installed base of active video telematics systems is estimated to over 1.1 million units in 2022. The active installed base in the region is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 17.9 percent to reach 2.5 million video telematics systems in 2027.

The video telematics market is served by a number of different types of players, ranging from specialists focused specifically on video telematics solutions, to general fleet telematics players which have introduced video offerings, and hardware-focused suppliers offering mobile digital video recorders (DVRs) and vehicle cameras used for video telematics.

“Berg Insight ranks Streamax, Lytx and Samsara as the leading video telematics players in their respective categories”, said Rickard Andersson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight. He adds that Streamax is the leading hardware provider, having more than 2.4 million mobile DVRs installed in vehicles worldwide to date. The company also offers software dashboards which are widely used together with its devices.

Mr. Andersson continued:

“Lytx has the largest number of video telematics subscriptions, while Samsara stands out among the general fleet telematics players with a significant number of camera units deployed across its subscriber base.”

Additional sizeable players in this space include the new channel-focused brand Sensata INSIGHTS (including the acquired video telematics company SmartWitness), the fleet management player Motive (formerly KeepTruckin), the hardware-focused video telematics company Howen, and the fleet management provider Solera Fleet Solutions (which acquired the commercial vehicle telematics pioneer Omnitracs including the video safety specialist SmartDrive).

“The remaining top-10 players are Netradyne, Nauto and VisionTrack which all have a primary focus on camera-based solutions specifically”, said Mr. Andersson. Other noteworthy players competing in the video telematics space include video-focused solution providers such as Bendix (SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS), Idrive, SureCam, LightMetrics, Waylens, Seeing Machines and CameraMatics; fleet telematics players including Trimble, Matrix iQ, MiX Telematics, Forward Thinking Systems, Radius Telematics, ISAAC Instruments, Azuga, Microlise, Trakm8 and AddSecure Smart Transport; as well as the hardware-focused supplier Pittasoft (BlackVue). “These players have all reached estimated installed bases in the tens of thousands”, concluded Mr. Andersson.

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The installed base of telematics devices in the car rental and leasing market in Europe and North America reached 5.6 million in 2021 according to a new market research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight.

The uptake of telematics in the industry is believed to be driven by requirements for fleets to increase fleet utilization, the emergence of new mobility services and the general electrification trend in the automotive industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic has moreover pushed the demand for digital business models, increasing the uptake of telematics in both the rental and leasing industries.

The total active installed base is forecasted to reach 12.6 million by 2026 across the car rental and leasing fleets in the two regions.

The telematics penetration rate across the car rental fleets in Europe and North America is expected to grow from 38 percent in 2021 to 86 percent in 2026. The telematics penetration rate in the total population of leasing vehicles in the two regions reached 35 percent in 2021 and is expected to reach 61 percent by 2026.

Several categories of telematics applications are today used in the context of car rental and leasing. “The main benefit of deploying telematics among car rental and leasing companies is improved control over assets”, said Martin Cederqvist, IoT Analyst at Berg Insight.

Fleet managers have an obvious interest in tracking the location of their vehicles and monitoring their status in order to prevent fraud, theft and mistreatment. In the long run, this leads to reduced operational costs and also potentially lower insurance premiums.

Mr Cederqvist continued:

“Telematics technology may also enable new business models or services such as long-term pay-per-use contracts for private vehicles or automated mileage reporting for company cars as well as digital and contactless car rental and carsharing experiences.”

The car rental companies have also had challenges to meet an increasing demand for rental cars in the last year due to semiconductor shortages and production disruptions in the automotive industry, which in turn has had a positive effect on telematics adoption as astute use of telematics systems has proven to contribute to optimal fleet utilization.

The telematics value chain spans multiple industries including a large ecosystem of companies, including hardware specialists, software specialists and end-to-end solution providers. Telematics players active on the car rental and leasing market include telematics specialists which are only or mainly active in the rental and leasing space, offering solutions for digital access or vehicle fleet management.

Examples of companies present on the rental and leasing market include the fleet management solution vendors Webfleet, PowerFleet and Geotab.

“Geotab has established itself as a leading telematics service provider in the rental and leasing industry and has an installed base of more than 600,000 telematics subscribers in this segment in the two regions”, said Mr Cederqvist.

Additional notable telematics service providers in the rental and leasing telematics market include Targa Telematics, CalAmp, Octo Telematics, Airmax, IMS and Zubie as well as specialized companies such as RentalMatics, HQ Rental Software, Kirrk and TSD Mobility Solutions. Telematics data integration between automotive OEMs and rental and leasing companies have become increasingly common and it is anticipated that the involvement of automotive OEMs will accelerate in the rental and leasing telematics industry in the coming years.

“Examples of automotive OEMs that have direct telematics integration with rental and leasing companies include for example GM, Ford, Stellantis (Free2Move), Tesla and Toyota”, added Mr Cederqvist.

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The number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in Europe was 13.2 million at the end of 2021, according to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6 percent, this number is expected to reach 25.0 million by 2026.

The top-34 vendors have today more than 100,000 active units in Europe. Webfleet’s subscriber base has grown both organically and by acquisitions during the past years and the company is the clear market leader on the European market and reached an installed base of about 700,000 units at year-end 2021. Berg Insight ranks Targa Telematics as the second largest player in terms of active installed base with around 645,000 units. Verizon Connect is in third place and had achieved an installed base of an estimated 478,000 units. Scania and ABAX follow and have reached 363,000 units and 349,000 units respectively. Calamp, Gurtam, Radius Telematics, Bornemann and Michelin Connected Fleet are also ranked among the ten largest providers with 250,000–320,000 units each. Some notable players just outside of the top ten list are AddSecure Smart Transport, Transics, Viasat, Quartix, Océan (Orange), GSGroup, Daimler Truck, Teletrac Navman, Fleet Complete, Macnil, Volvo, Microlise, Linqo, RAM Tracking, MAN, Cartrack, Trimble, Geotab, Eurowag Telematics, Infobric Fleet and Inseego.

The HCV manufacturers are now growing their subscriber bases considerably in Europe thanks to standard line fitment of fleet management solutions. Dynafleet by Volvo, FleetBoard by Daimler Truck and Scania Fleet Management are the most successful with active subscriber bases of 145,000 units, 156,000 units and 363,000 units respectively at the end of 2021.

The consolidation trend on this market continued in 2022. Johan Fagerberg, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight, said:

“Seven mergers and acquisitions have taken place so far this year among the vendors of fleet management systems in Europe.”

In January, Infobric Group acquired Total Car’s logbook and driver journal business. Zucchetti Group divested its share in Macnil back to the founders that now own 100 percent. In July, the W.A.G. Payment Solutions (Eurowag) Group completed an acquisition of substantially all of the assets of WebEye. MiX Telematics acquired Trimble’s Field Service Management’s (FSM) business in August. FSM will add more than 40,000 subscribers to MiX’s subscriber base. In August, ABAX acquired the fleet business of Connected Cars in Denmark. In September, Main Capital Partners acquired a majority share in FleetGO and at the same time also Wanko. The two companies will merge into a comprehensive logistics software group called FleetGO Group. Finally, Eurowag announced in October the acquisition of INELO Group from Innova Capital. The transaction will expand Eurowag’s geographic footprint across 16 European markets and roughly double its base of telematics devices. Mr. Fagerberg anticipates that the market consolidation of the still overcrowded industry will continue in 2023.

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Data insights on performance, safety and sustainability delivering top value for sector.

Geotab, a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, announced that it has surpassed 3 million subscribers* across the globe, demonstrating the continued high demand for data intelligence that is supporting the rapid transformation of the industry, including fuel and operating efficiency, safety, sustainability and predictability.

For Geotab, which recently marked its 22-year anniversary, surpassing 3 million connected vehicles is indicative of the significant impact that its high-quality data insights contributes to organizations across the world as they optimize operations, build safe and intelligent communities and aim to achieve sustainability goals.

“In January 2020, we announced that Geotab had achieved its goal of becoming the first telematics company to achieve 2 million connected vehicles built on a single, open platform,” said Geotab CEO Neil Cawse. “Two years later, despite the disruption of a global pandemic, we have reached another significant milestone by adding a further 1 million net new subscriptions. This exceptional growth speaks to the talent of our employees and partners, an always-on innovation mindset, and to a relentless focus on working with our customers over many years to solve their evolving transportation challenges.”

Geotab has one of the largest data science teams in the industry, and with devices installed in 163 countries, the company processes approximately 55 billion data points a day and has advanced support for more than 9000 internal combustion engine makes and models and more than 250 electric vehicle makes and models – twice the number of any other fleet telematics company. Additional models are added daily. Geotab also offers an OEM telematics platform with a variety of industry-leading integration partners, and is rapidly expanding its list of offerings.

“With our world class talent and continuous commitment to research and development, the opportunity — and responsibility — that Geotab has to help businesses and governments across the world leverage intelligent data insights to optimize their investments, and create safer, more sustainable and efficient communities is tremendous, and where we will continue to focus our efforts as we scale,” added Cawse.

As the global commercial telematics market continues to mature (US $34.79 billion in 2020 to US$158.31 billion by 2028), Geotab is well positioned in all global markets to help its customers navigate relevant issues and challenges in today’s transportation industry, while providing trending and predictive insights to inform smart business planning.

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Berg Insight, the leading IoT market research provider, today released a new market study covering the video telematics market.

The integration of cameras to enable various video-based solutions in commercial vehicle environments is a massive trend in the fleet telematics sector.

Berg Insight’s definition of video telematics includes a broad range of camera-based solutions deployed in commercial vehicle fleets either as standalone applications or as an added feature set to conventional fleet telematics. The frontrunning North American video telematics market is three times the size of the European, which is so far largely dominated by activities in the UK. Berg Insight estimates that the installed base of active video telematics systems in North America reached 2.9 million units in 2021.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.5 percent, the active installed base is forecasted to reach almost 6.3 million units in North America by 2026. In Europe, the installed base of active video telematics systems is estimated to over 0.9 million units in 2021. The active installed base in the region is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 17.9 percent to reach 2.1 million video telematics systems in 2026.

The video telematics market is served by a number of different types of players, ranging from specialists focused specifically on video telematics solutions, to general fleet telematics players which have introduced video offerings, and hardware-focused suppliers offering mobile digital video recorders (DVRs) and vehicle cameras used for video telematics.

“Berg Insight ranks Streamax, Lytx and Samsara as the leading video telematics players in their respective categories”, said Rickard Andersson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight.

He adds that Streamax is the leading hardware provider, having more than 2.1 million mobile DVRs installed in vehicles worldwide to date, and the company also offers software dashboards which are widely used together with its devices.

“Lytx has the largest number of video telematics subscriptions, while Samsara stands out among the general fleet telematics players with a significant number of camera units deployed across its subscriber base”, continued Mr. Andersson.

Additional sizeable players in this space include the video telematics company SmartWitness (owned by Sensata), the fleet management player Motive (formerly KeepTruckin), the commercial vehicle telematics pioneer Omnitracs (owned by Solera) including the acquired video safety specialist SmartDrive, the hardware-focused video telematics company Howen, and the vision-based safety platform provider Netradyne.

Other noteworthy players competing in the video telematics space include video-focused solution providers such as Nauto, VisionTrack, Bendix (SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS), SureCam, LightMetrics, Idrive, Seeing Machines, CameraMatics, Exeros Technologies, Waylens and Vision Techniques; fleet telematics players including Trimble, Matrix Telematics, Radius Telematics, MiX Telematics, Azuga, Microlise, Forward Thinking Systems, ISAAC Instruments, Trakm8 and AddSecure Smart Transport; as well as the hardware-focused supplier Pittasoft (BlackVue).

Mr. Andersson concluded:

“These players have all reached estimated installed bases in the tens of thousands.”

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World’s connected transportation leader wins contract for fleet-wide deployment of telematics in U.S. government vehicles.

With a standing reputation as the chosen solution provider for all levels of government across North America, Geotab Inc. (“Geotab”), a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, today announced it has been awarded a sole-source contract by the United States Department of the Air Force, the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces.

As part of this contract, the Department of the Air Force will equip its over 21,000 general purpose vehicles with Geotab’s trusted fleet management technology.

Geotab puts security at the forefront of its solutions by ensuring rigorous security measures that meet and exceed industry best cybersecurity practices. The company has received FIPS 140-2 validation for its cryptographic library in February 2019 and more recently, FedRAMP authorization and ISO 27001 certification for its telematics platform. These compliance certifications and authorizations validate Geotab’s system and organizational processes, enabling the company to offer its fleet management services to all levels of federal, state and local government agencies.

“Governments across the globe are turning to telematics for enhanced fleet management. With its unwavering commitment to information security, Geotab is trusted by over 2000 government agencies and departments at all levels to capture, measure and analyze crucial fleet data with unparalleled granularity,” said Dan Zdarko, Business Development Manager, Federal Government at Geotab.

“Winning this sole-source contract from the Department of the Air Force further solidifies Geotab’s ability to collaborate with agencies that operate at the highest levels of national data security and to provide a customized and highly secured telematics solution.”

The secure and customized fleet management technology includes the following features to help the Department of the Air Force more effectively manage its vehicles.

• Automated odometer capturing
• Engine diagnostics
• Predictive analytics
• Fuel data
• Custom reporting
• GHG Reduction Dashboards
• Fleet Right-Sizing Reporting

Selected for its integration capacity and proven commitment to information security, the sole-source award from the Department of the Air Force yields an Authorization to Operate (ATO) within the Department of Defense (DoD), an executive branch department of the U.S. Federal Government. This authorization will allow other DoD agencies to leverage Geotab services by piggybacking off of this DAF ATO.

“It is vitally important that the technology we deploy in our fleets meet the highest standards of data security put forth by the U.S. government,” said Mr. Tim Patterson, Program Management Flight Chief from the U.S. Air Force’s 441st Vehicle Support Chain Operations Squadron at Langley AFB, VA.

“Our objective is to enhance fleet management strategies and reduce the total cost of ownership longer term across the Department of the Air Force.”

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Berg Insight estimates that the global installed base of active off-highway vehicle telematics systems reached 5.2 million units in 2020.

This includes connected units deployed on various off-highway vehicles across the construction, mining, agriculture and forestry sectors.

The construction sector accounts for the largest share, driven by OEM telematics systems offered by heavy equipment manufacturers. Agriculture and mining each account for a similar number of connected units deployed on machines and vehicles used in agricultural and mining operations respectively. The remainder is represented by the forestry sector including telematics systems fitted to various forestry equipment.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.4 percent, the active installed base of off-highway vehicle telematics systems across all sectors is forecasted to reach 10.7 million units worldwide in 2025.

Rickard Andersson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight, said:

“The top-10 equipment manufacturers offering telematics together account for more than 70 percent of the total number of off-highway vehicle telematics systems in use across the construction, mining, agriculture and forestry sectors globally.”

Berg Insight ranks Caterpillar and Komatsu as the leading off-highway vehicle telematics providers.

“Far from surprising, the leading equipment manufacturers by market share are also by far the top players when it comes to the number of off-highway vehicle telematics subscribers”, said Mr. Andersson.

He adds that this is a natural development in an industry where telematics has increasingly been included as standard with the machine purchase, gradually covering more models and equipment categories.

“Caterpillar was the first to surpass the milestone of 1 million connected assets”, continued Mr. Andersson.

Other major manufacturers with installed bases of more than 100,000 units include SANY, Volvo Construction Equipment, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Deere & Company and JCB.

“Additional players having estimated installed bases of off-highway vehicle telematics units in the tens of thousands include Bobcat, Doosan Infracore, Liebherr, Terex, CNH Industrial, CLAAS Group, Hyundai Construction Equipment, AGCO, JLG Industries and Tadano”, concluded Mr. Andersson.

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The number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in Australia and New Zealand was around 1.2 million units in Q4-2020 according to a new research report from the leading IoT analyst firm Berg Insight.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.9 percent, this number is expected to reach more than 2.4 million units by 2025. A wide variety of players serve the fleet telematics market in Australia and New Zealand, ranging from small local vendors to leading international solution providers. The top-15 players in Australia and New Zealand account for over 60 percent of the active units on the market, and more than a third is represented by the top-5.

Rickard Andersson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight, said:

“Berg Insight still ranks Teletrac Navman as the largest solution provider in the region today, followed closely by Australia-based MTData and New Zealand-based EROAD.”

US-based Teletrac Navman was the first to surpass the milestone of 100,000 units in the region. “MTData, which is owned by Telstra, has now also reached this range, and EROAD is in a similar order of magnitude following the acquisition of Coretex which was completed last week”, continued Mr. Andersson. He adds that the remaining top-5 solution providers in the region are US-based Verizon Connect and Netstar Australia.

Other notable vendors with comparably sizeable subscriber bases in the region include local solution providers such as Australia-based Fleetsu and IntelliTrac and New Zealand-based Argus Tracking and Smartrak, as well as international players including South Africa-based MiX Telematics and Canada-based Fleet Complete. The latter entered the region through the acquisition of Geotab’s reseller Securatrak. Additional top-15 players in Australia and New Zealand are Bridgestone’s Webfleet Solutions, Procon Telematics, Linxio and Sensium. Solution vendors outside of the top-list moreover include Simply Unified, TrackIt, Digital Matter, Directed Electronics Australia, Fleetdynamics by Fleetcare, Inseego and Trimble. Directed Electronics Australia notably works with a large number of commercial vehicle OEMs on the local market.

“OEMs which have introduced fleet telematics solutions in the region independently or through partnerships include Isuzu, Toyota, Hino, Volvo Group, Daimler, PACCAR, Scania, Iveco and Mitsubishi”, concluded Mr. Andersson.

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The integrated solution combines and consolidates valuable telematics data for Geotab and GM customers in Canada.

Geotab Inc. (“Geotab”), a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, today announced the expansion into and availability of the Geotab Integrated Solution for General Motors (“GM”) in Canada.

With no additional hardware installation required, the latest offering from GM and Geotab provides Canadian customers with the benefit of managing their entire fleet in one platform, simplifying fleet management and helping businesses make better-informed decisions.

With this integration, data from compatible GM vehicles, 2016 or newer, with OnStar embedded factory first-hardware can be securely transferred into Geotab’s web-based fleet management software, integrating all vehicle data into one platform, offering businesses and fleets a seamless user experience. By enabling fleet managers to access rich proprietary vehicle data, they can generate safety reports, activity reports and measure other key metrics on one convenient platform to help optimize fleet performance.

“Fleets of all sizes are rapidly embracing innovative, data-driven solutions that can help owners and operators improve safety and reduce operating costs,” said Dave Watson, Fleet and Commercial Sales Director, GM Canada. “Collaborating with Geotab allows us to further share our OnStar business solution products to benefit a wider customer base, providing them with sophisticated software and analytical tools to work quickly and efficiently, reducing the need for additional hardware.”

Users can expand the functionality of the solution further with access to the Geotab Marketplace, a growing portfolio of mobile apps, software Add-ins and hardware Add-ons, that helps enable customers to tailor their fleet management solution to help meet all of their connectivity needs including improved safety, productivity and efficiency.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with GM Canada to offer all customers across the United States and Canada a complete and seamless telematics service to help better manage their fleets,” said Sherry Calkins, Vice President of Connected Car Business Development.

“By 2024, 82% of all manufactured vehicles will be equipped with embedded telematics. Geotab is proud to work with GM to help provide customers with improved safety, efficiency and security with a rich, holistic, all-in-one telematics data solution.”

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The installed base of telematics devices in the car rental and leasing market reached 5.0 million in 2020 according to a new market research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the world economy lately are believed to drive demand for digital business models, which is good news for the uptake of telematics in both the rental and leasing industries. The total active installed base is forecasted to reach 10.5 million by 2025 across the car rental and leasing fleets in Europe and North America.

Several categories of telematics applications are today used in the context of car rental and leasing. Martin Svegander, Senior Analyst at Berg Insight, said:

“The main benefit of deploying telematics among car rental and leasing companies is improved control over assets.”

Fleet managers have an obvious interest in tracking the location of their vehicles and monitoring their status in order to prevent fraud, theft and mistreatment. In the long run, this leads to reduced operational costs and also potentially lower insurance premiums.

“Telematics technology may also enable new business models or services such as long-term pay-per-use contracts for private vehicles or automated mileage reporting for company cars as well as contactless car rental and carsharing experiences”, Mr Svegander continued.

The telematics value chain spans multiple industries including a large ecosystem of companies. Telematics players active on the car rental and leasing market can on a high level be categorised into two broad categories. One is telematics specialists which are only or mainly active in the rental and leasing space, offering solutions for digital access or vehicle fleet management. Examples of companies present on this market include the fleet management solution vendors Webfleet Solutions, PowerFleet, Masternaut and Geotab.

“Geotab has established itself as a leading telematics service provider in the rental and leasing industry and had an installed base of more than 600,000 telematics subscribers in this segment in 2020”, said Mr Svegander.

Additional notable telematics service providers in the rental and leasing telematics market include IMS, Octo Telematics, Targa Telematics and Zubie as well as specialized companies such as RentalMatics and Liberkee. Telematics data integration between automotive OEMs and car rental companies have become increasingly common and it is anticipated that the involvement of automotive OEMs will increase in the rental and leasing telematics industry in the coming years.

“Examples of automotive OEMs that have direct telematics integration with rental and leasing companies include for example GM, Ford, Stellantis (Free2Move) and Toyota”, Mr Svegander added.

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Since the turn of the millennium, one of the technical megatrends observed on the market is the replacement of isolated control units by intelligent (inter)connected devices, named today as the Internet of Things (IoT). Fundamentally, the IoT is considered as a network of physical objects with embedded sensors and communication capabilities allowing remote control or monitoring via an internet-like structure. Among the myriad of IoT devices available on the market today, GPS trackers are offering a wide scope of applications and benefits.

The use of GPS trackers may be a great help in various situations, as their satellite-controlled positioning function can help to find persons in need of protection such as children, patients suffering from alzheimer disease, elderly persons or even pets who ran away. Being able to locate and find our loved ones using easy-to-use tracker systems offer security and peace of mind. But GPS trackers can also be used to locate and protect various types of assets such as vehicles, cars, bicycles or any valuable (and moving) object. In a business environment, fleet management is one of the applications offering immediate benefits and quick ROI of using tracking devices.

Fleet tracking

Many applications and services can be offered using a combination of GNSS (“Global Navigation Satellite System”) and IoT technologies. In a GPS tracker, the positioning sensors can calculate at any time the exact position of a moving unit and send it to a central system. This is the case for fleet management solutions which can use trackers in various situations:

GPS trackers for OBD port
Fleet managers can use products like the MiniFinder® Zepto which is the world’s smallest GPS tracker for fast connection via the vehicle diagnostics socket, OBD port. Once connected to the on-board diagnostics socket, it allows the fleet manager to monitor the position of the vehicle in real-time. The device being “Plug & Play”, it can be installed and ready to run in less than a minute.

Setting alerts to monitor drivers’ behaviour
Several types of alerts can be configured with a GPS tracker designed for fleet monitoring: speed alert (to find out when a vehicle exceeds the preset speed), anti-sabotage alert (to detect unauthorised access and use of a vehicle) and geofencing alert (to be notified when the vehicle is located outside of the authorized perimeter).

Smart tachographs
Since mid-June 2019 and according to VO (EU) Nr. 165/2014, company fleets are legally bound to install a smart tachograph into newly registered vehicles. Therefore, it is necessary for fleet managers to embed fully automated tachographs accepted by the tax office in their vehicles. This is an opportunity to install a GPS tracker as well to collect the vehicle position data to find out the current location of the vehicle – in real-time. Thus, it becomes possible to get detailed reports on the driving times and rest periods of the driver over the entire route.

A GPS tracker is a very helpful tool for any fleet manager. Not only the manager can control the routes of the vehicles, but it can also help the driver optimize his driving behavior. Furthermore, it can be a valuable assistance for streamlining the routes, which leads to an ecological driving method and a significant CO2-reduction.

More transparency thanks to intelligent GPS tracking

Once their vehicles on the road, fleet managers often lack insights on the performance and utilization of their fleets. Using GPS tracking technology bring many benefits to fleet managers: more accurate billing, lower costs for fuel and maintenance, use of the vehicles (detection of private use for example)…

Doubtlessly, logistics and transportation is one of the application fields which can get immediate benefit of using IoT associated to GNSS. With such a technology combination, companies have the opportunity to efficiently organize and manage their fleets of vehicles without heavy investments.

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Company secures position as largest commercial telematics provider in the world.

Geotab, a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, today announced it has surpassed 2 million subscribers, securing its position as the world’s largest commercial telematics company.

Launching its software as a service solution in 2006, the company has experienced an average annual subscriber growth rate of 40 percent over the past five years, with a 100 percent increase since Q1 2018. Geotab has since become the platform of choice for businesses both large and small as well as public, private and government fleets of all sizes across the globe by focusing on a unique open platform approach that has attracted a world class partner ecosystem and integrated solutions within the Geotab Marketplace.

“In February 2018, we announced that Geotab had achieved its goal of becoming the first telematics company to achieve 1 million connected vehicles built on a single, open platform. In less than two years, we have doubled that number and set a new, unprecedented milestone,” said Geotab CEO Neil Cawse. “As our vehicle subscription base continues to expand around the world, we have showcased that by adhering to our founding adage of ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure,’ our customers and the community at large are able to benefit from improved fleet management and data-driven insights to help tackle challenges around traffic safety, city planning, climate change and more.”

Geotab’s road to 2 million subscribers at a glance:

• Geotab GO devices are used in over 130 countries.
• Geotab’s ecosystem captures nearly 3 million charging events a year from electric vehicles (which is growing rapidly).
• Geotab customers drive an average of 585 million miles per week (that’s equal to 6.3 trips to the sun).
• If all the vehicles in the Geotab database were lined up end-to-end (10,500mi), they would stretch from Toronto to Rio de Janeiro and back.
• More than 40 billion data points are collected each day from Geotab-connected vehicles around the world.

Susan Beardslee, Principal Analyst at ABI Research commended the company on this unprecedented achievement: “ABI Research finds that as of January 2020, Geotab – with more than two million commercial telematics subscribers across the globe – is officially the world’s largest commercial telematics company.”

As a proven leader in IoT and connected transportation, Geotab provides actionable insights to businesses of all sizes in order to help better manage fleets and make data-driven decisions. Geotab’s key industry differentiator is its open platform solution, which promotes a network of cooperation, enabling businesses to integrate Geotab data into any system regardless of business size or operational needs.

“The ‘Connected Car’ revolution is still in its early stages and represents a huge opportunity for the entire ecosystem. Beginning this next decade with such success calls for celebration,” Cawse added.

“Thanks to the hard work of our growing network of employees, partners and customers across the globe—whose passion for innovation and focus on sustainability, scalability, reliability and security has enabled us to effectively support over 40,000 businesses and more than 2 million vehicles around the world. We look forward to seeing what the road to 3 million has in store.”

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According to a new report from the leading M2M/IoT market research provider Berg Insight, the number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in North America was 9.5 million in Q4-2018.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.0 percent, this number is expected to reach 20.8 million by 2023.

In Latin America, the number of active fleet management systems is expected to increase from 3.4 million in Q4-2018, growing at a CAGR of 15.1 percent to reach 6.9 million in 2023. All of the top-25 fleet management solution providers in the Americas for the first time had at least 100,000 active units each in the region at the end of 2018.

The top-25 vendors together had 8 million vehicles under management and the top-5 represented around 40 percent of the total installed base in the Americas.

Berg Insight still ranks Verizon Connect as the leader in the fleet telematics space in the Americas.

“Verizon’s closest competitor is Geotab which has grown considerably in the past years, now having an installed base of well over 1 million active fleet management subscribers in the region”, said Rickard Anderson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight.

Geotab is followed by Trimble and Omnitracs. Zonar Systems rounds off the top-5, just ahead of Michelin which has established a strong position in the Americas and beyond through multiple acquisitions.

“Teletrac Navman, Fleet Complete and KeepTruckin are also major players with estimated installed bases of at least a quarter of a million units in the region”, continued Mr. Andersson.

He adds that Berg Insight anticipates a future scenario where the global fleet management market is dominated by a handful of providers with installed bases measured in the millions, driven by growth strategies based on M&A activity and high-pace organic growth.

Mr. Andersson concluded:

“The milestone of one million connected units globally has already been surpassed by five solution providers, and three players have even reached the two million range.”

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Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles offers fleet managers the ability to incorporate Ford vehicle data into the MyGeotab platform for single view of entire fleet.

Geotab, a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, today announced the availability of the Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles.

Integrating Ford vehicle data into the MyGeotab platform, fleet managers gain access to one dedicated portal with powerful tools that can process data from vehicles with an embedded modem as well as those which require a third-party device.

Through this integration, Ford Data Services will securely transfer data from Ford vehicles with a factory installed modem (or Ford Plug-In Modem, where required) to Geotab’s cloud environment, eliminating the need for third-party hardware in Ford vehicles. Ford, which by the way, is one of the leading automobile company who sold 4.5 million vehicle units in retail. Simplifying the task of mixed-fleet management, the latest solution from Ford and Geotab provides fleet managers with the ability to oversee their entire fleet in one portal while also presenting the added benefit of access to the Geotab Marketplace, a portfolio of mobile apps, hardware Add-Ons and software Add-Ins that enable Geotab customers to further customize their fleet management solution.

“Ford Data Services provides the ‘Power of Choice’ so that businesses can get manufacturer-grade vehicle information from the telematics provider of their choice, such as Geotab,” said Michelle Moody, Director at Ford Commercial Solutions.

“With the launch of Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles, fleets are able to access vehicle information such as fuel usage, vehicle health and driver behavior, through the Geotab platform for vehicles with a Ford modem.”

With this solution, fleet managers will be able to access rich, proprietary, Ford-specific data available for all Ford 2020 or newer models in the United States.

“The Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles will allow fleet managers to benefit from the combination of Geotab’s actionable data insights and powerful rules engine with the rich diagnostic data from Ford’s factory-fitted modem,” said Geotab’s Sherry Calkins, Vice President, Strategic Partners. “This means that regardless of whether they are utilizing an embedded or externally installed telematics solution, the entire fleet can be managed from one platform.”

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Sequans and Momentum IoT Partner on Cloud-Based Telematics Solution for Fleet Managers.

Sequans Communications and Momentum IoT, fleet management hardware and software solutions provider, have joined forces to add LTE-M connectivity to the Momentum IoT Eagle 1 telematics tracking device for a total solution that makes fleet management more user-friendly and more cost-effective.

The Momentum IoT Eagle 1 allows fleet managers to monitor and track the status of virtually everything in their fleets, from location and fuel consumption to maintenance problems.

Justin Silva, CEO of Momentum IoT, said:

“Adding LTE-M connectivity to the Eagle 1 is crucial to our fleet manager customers because important data, including location, trip activity, or real-time maintenance issues, can now be transmitted via the always on and everywhere available nationwide LTE-M network, which provides connectivity at a lower cost and with lower power consumption.”

“We chose Sequans’ Monarch because it is the world’s leading LTE-M/NB-IoT chip, and Sequans is the proven leader in LTE for IoT. They help us offer better value and higher performance for field service managers.”

The Momentum Eagle 1 is an ultra-advanced and rugged device that is easy to install with plug-in connectors that need no wiring. The auto-load feature automatically sets up the vehicle in the dashboard where fleet managers can instantly view odometer, voltage, and fuel level readings, as well as the idle, park, or moving status of every truck or vehicle in their fleet. Managers have full visibility of trucks on the map, including distance from site and deviations. Notifications are provided for trip length and speed reports, and alerts are provided for maintenance issues.

“We are pleased to partner with Momentum IoT to bring the truly innovative Eagle 1 telematics solution to market,” said Georges Karam, CEO of Sequans. “Momentum IoT is enabling fleet operators of all sizes to benefit from telematics solutions that have previously been available only to big companies—they are making it simpler and more cost-effective, while providing the full range of telematics features with high security.”

The LTE connectivity in the Momentum Eagle 1 telematics device is powered by Sequans Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT Platform. Monarch provides full support for power saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) to enable long battery life, and it provides enhanced coverage modes, including a +23 dBm power amplifier, that extend coverage for deep-indoor and remote deployments. For LTE positioning, Monarch incorporates the positioning technology of Polte for accurate, low power, indoor and outdoor positioning capability using only the LTE radio. Monarch delivers programmable RF filtering for global band support in a Single-SKU, and proprietary dynamic power management technology, enabling rock bottom power consumption of 1 micro amp. Monarch is certified by operators around the world.

“With Momentum, we saw immediate results.” said Chris Spano, CEO of Traffic Management Inc. “With accurate visibility, we were able to deploy more projects with higher daily utilization and more accurate billing. This has become a key competitive advantage. Our clients see us at our best. Momentum made it happen.”

The Momentum Eagle 1 telematics solution is now available.

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London’s Ultra Low Emission Zones shows the need to improve commercial vehicle efficiency.

As of April 8th, London introduced Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) in an effort to reduce the CO2 levels across the UK capital and improve the air quality for the city’s millions of inhabitants.

Currently, the ULEZ covers some of the most popular areas of the city with regulations in force 24 hours a day in Westminster, Covent Garden, Mayfair and Lambeth along with other surrounding areas. Plans are in place for 2021 to expand the ULEZ to include all areas between the North and South circular roads. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called the ULEZ, “a vital step towards helping combat London’s illegal air.”

Most vehicles which are not compliant with the efficiency standards of the zones must pay £12.50 per day, as well as the congestion charge, to enter or face fines of £160. For lorries, however, if they do not meet or exceed the Euro 6 standards, they will be charged £100 per day to enter the zones.

Some see the introduction of ULEZ, and its proposed expansion in 2 years time as the time to change over to electric vehicles or replace older petrol and diesel vehicles with newer more efficient ones.

These vehicle changes could represent vast and unaffordable costs to businesses. For vehicles such as cars and vans, entering the ULEZ 5 times a week, along with congestion charge, means an added £120 in expenses. While those operating in London who need to enter the new ULEZ seem to have little option but to comply with the regulations, or face significant fines, there are still ways to improve vehicle efficiency for commercial vehicles which can benefit businesses across the UK.

Keeping commercial vehicles maintained correctly and running as smoothly as possible is vitally important when aiming to improve efficiency. However, installing vehicle tracking technology has also been shown to improve the efficiency of vehicles and represent significant savings in fuel usage and CO2 production.

One of the areas in which vehicle tracking can improve efficiency is by alerting the driver to behaviour which contributes to increased fuel usage and therefore increased CO2 production. Providing audio and visual feedback to the driver through small in-cab devices which monitor behaviour such as speeding, harsh acceleration and idling, all of which contribute to fuel wastage.

By correcting this behaviour, drivers can reduce the amount of fuel they use and therefore the amount of CO2 which is produced by their vehicle. These reduced levels not only improves the environmental impact of the vehicle but can save the company a significant amount of money.

In addition to improving driver behaviour, vehicle tracking systems produce telematics data which can be analysed by fleet managers to see the broader impact of the system across a fleet.

One case in which vehicle tracking has been very successful in reducing CO2 was with City West Works, now known as ForHousing, who carry out maintenance work on houses across West Salford in Manchester.

Having installed vehicle tracking across over 100 of the company’s commercial vehicles the saving in CO2 emissions came to 40.6 tonnes and a reduction in fuel costs of just under £17,000.

Being able to save such significant amounts in both fuel and CO2 emissions represents a considerable benefit to the environment as well as the company and its finances. Vehicle tracking also provides an option for companies looking to reduce their environmental impact without the expense of replacing vehicles within their fleet.

Business owners and lawmakers alike will be closely monitoring the ULEZ scheme in London and tracking its impact, with a view to possibly introducing similar systems in other cities across the country. For now, however, with an ever more concerted effort being made across society, finding ways to become more fuel efficient should be at the forefront of business managers minds.

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New feature-rich, cost-optimized product line streamlines fleet operations and improves asset utilization.

ORBCOMM Inc. today announced that it has launched its next generation solar-powered GT 1200 series of devices as part of a comprehensive telematics solution that includes multiple sensor options, user-friendly applications and reliable cellular and optional satellite connectivity for hassle-free trailer and container tracking.

The GT 1200 series is an evolution of ORBCOMM’s industry-leading GT 1100 product line and includes an enhanced, high-sensitivity solar panel that charges up to 20 times faster than its predecessor even without direct sunlight, resulting in up to three times more messages per day for increased asset utilization.

The compact devices are ruggedized to withstand extreme conditions, require no battery changes for up to 10 years and include built-in tamper and impact detection.

The GT 1200 series also can easily be configured with ORBCOMM’s integrated cargo sensor and other wireless sensors. With a new streamlined design, the devices can be installed externally on all cargo asset types in about 10 minutes, even when the asset is full, making customer deployments quick and efficient with minimal disruption to their operations.

“ORBCOMM’s new GT 1200 series is part of our comprehensive innovation plan to enhance nearly all our products to expand our existing capabilities and provide customers with advanced technology and unmatched value,” said Marc Eisenberg, ORBCOMM’s Chief Executive Officer.

“With expanded support for wireless sensors, an improved solar panel and safer, faster field installation, the GT 1200 product line features the latest in asset tracking technology and offers incremental benefits to our transportation customers looking to streamline their fleet operations and gain efficiencies.”

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Building a vehicle fleet isn’t easy or inexpensive, and managing that same fleet can prove even more time-consuming, labor-intensive and costly. Fortunately, in the Digital Age many fleet owners can turn to telematics, which is a series of technologies that provide information on where vehicles are, how they are performing and more.

Because knowledge is power, many fleet entrepreneurs expect telematics to lower their various costs and improve services significantly. But does it?

Telematics technologies are not free — in fact, depending on the level of technology installed and how it is implemented, telematics solutions can cost even more than the fleet itself. Before deciding about whether they need telematics to manage their fleet, entrepreneurs should research whether the costs associated with telematics are worthwhile and how they can gain a favorable return on investment with the tech.

Costs Associated With Telematics

The cost of telematics seems relatively straightforward, but they do accumulate fast. Not only do businesses need to acquire the hardware used to gather telematics data, such as fuel levels and consumption, acceleration and braking speeds, engine load, odometer value and more, but businesses also need to pay telematics firms to install the hardware properly in each vehicle so the data collected is accurate. What’s more, telematics solutions require software tools that aggregate and analyze the data collected, so businesses can gain insights from it more easily. Access to the data platform — and the tech installed in vehicles, for that matter — is gained through a monthly subscription fee.

As expected, it is possible to find telematics solutions for exceedingly cheap, but as is often the case with tech, one gets what they pay for. Thus, lower-cost monthly plans might provide access to a smartphone app that fleet drivers must use to collect simple data like speed, driving time and direction. Meanwhile, more expensive solutions will see accelerometers and other advanced tools installed at various points throughout a vehicle for a holistic view of vehicle performance and health.

On top of these costs, many businesses find it a worthwhile expense to hire a dedicated telematics manager onto their staff. This professional will have experience working with the kinds of data produced and collected through telematics, so businesses can get the most insight from their telematics efforts. However, hiring not just a salaried employee but one with this unique and crucial expertise isn’t cheap.

Fortunately, telematics provide more than a major item on expense reports. Despite these expenses, telematics can have significant positive impacts on fleet-based businesses — if businesses implement telematics the right way.

How to Have a Positive ROI

The key to having a positive return on investment when it comes to telematics is planning. By researching the benefits of telematics, entrepreneurs can better understand their potential outcomes and set their expectations for the technology appropriately. To be more specific, entrepreneurs in this field should:

Recognize the Cost Benefits of Telematics

While telematics does come with costs, it can slash expenses in other areas. For instance, fuel consumption can be drastically reduced through the proper application of telematics, driver safety can improve, lowering insurance costs, and it is possible to optimize routes, which shortens delivery times or otherwise optimizes trip performance.

Set Goals for Telematics

Because telematics can accomplish so much, it is important for entrepreneurs to prioritize their goals before they settle on a single solution. As always, goals should be quantitative, meaning they should rely on precise numbers, and they should have a strict timeframe for achievement.

Reevaluate Established Business Models

Telematics allows businesses to experiment with previously untested business models. For example, leasing companies can venture into short-term rentals thanks to improved information on vehicle use and customer needs. For entrepreneurs who hope to offer solutions across the mobility spectrum, this flexibility can be clutch.

Share the Costs of Telematics

Telematics isn’t just beneficial for companies; it is also advantageous for customers, drivers and anyone else who comes into contact with the fleet. Thus, businesses should consider sharing the costs of the technology with those who utilize the vehicles. Corporations tend to be especially interested in vehicles equipped with telematics, so B2B fleets are wise to offer this service ready-to-use.

Telematics is expensive, but virtually all fleet managers find the expense well worthwhile. Still, it is wise to weigh the expense with the benefits to find solutions that are ideal for business and customer alike.

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The textile industry has come a long way from the rudimentary methods once used to manufacture and transport their goods. Today, they employ the services of advanced systems based on IoT and telematics to improve manufacturing processes and deliver orders punctually, while informing customers about their shipment every step of the way. The digital transformation of management systems and automation of operational procedures paved the way for textile companies to step into a new age of business. With fierce competition among textile and fashion companies, this step provided an edge to get ahead of the competition. Telematics systems supported by IoT technology could provide tailor-made solutions for clothing businesses.

Large textile enterprises have to deal with a myriad of problems, from the provision of raw materials to the delivery of finished products. These businesses have to continuously adapt and upgrade their infrastructure to operate at optimum levels. IoT technology has been a boon for the textile industry, especially when combined with fleet management tools provided by telematics systems; the clothing industry has gained access to a set of tools that can alleviate many of the problems they face on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at some of these issues and how these sophisticated systems help overcome them.

Cargo theft is a major issue for the textile industry. According to experts, it’s one of the top five industries targeted for theft for obvious reasons: expensive clothing, accessories and high-end sportswear. Security has always been a major problem for companies with vehicle fleets, but it’s an even bigger issue for textile companies since they are a priority target for criminals. Experienced thieves are always on the lookout for easy targets when planning big heists, and a truck full of expensive clothing is an enticing opportunity, this makes it particularly important to have adequate security measures in place.

IoT technology and fleet management systems have countless benefits regarding security. To ensure the safety of the cargo on-board the vehicle, field managers have access to multiple vehicle sensors: open-door sensor, tampering alarm, motion sensor, and ignition sensor. Real-time location tracking is another prominent feature. The ability to monitor the location of a company truck on-demand has significant security benefits; should the worst happen and a thief gets away with one of the company vehicles, a field operator has to load the fleet management software, locate the vehicle and inform the police for a quick recovery.

Not only are telematics devices equipped with vehicle sensors and location trackers, but they also boast an array of powerful features such as geofence zones, route history and event alerts that can be used to enhance the safety and security of the whole company. The ability to transmit and receive data over the Internet allows managers to follow every aspect of their operation in detail. Even the smallest supply chain error or hold-up on the road can be easily detected and dealt with appropriately, resulting in on-time arrivals, improved productivity, and an overall safer workforce.

These prominent features can also be used to create an early warning system for important events, plan for shorter routes, and obtain information about the vehicle and driver via sensors. Managers can create geofence zones to receive notifications about arrivals and departures of fleet vehicles, which can help to quickly identify a vehicle as stolen in the event of an unscheduled movement. Another major problem for the textile industry is the timely arrival of important deliveries. Field managers can view the route history of their vehicles as well as check live traffic information, helping them plan shorter routes and make course corrections to ensure on-time delivery.

When a supply chain is involved, speed is crucial when gathering and relaying information. The speed of information flow is key to a company’s success, and it is especially important for textile companies who are required to regularly transport trucks full of cargo in perfect condition over long distances. IoT devices gather vast amounts of data via sensors and provide essential information about the condition of the cargo, while fleet management systems provide the necessary tools to monitor and analyze this information to help managers make decisions accordingly.

For all this to work, textile companies need a network of connected vehicles and continuous data exchange among their vehicles, factories, and warehouses. IoT and telematics technologies provide a platform for textile businesses to connect every branch of their operation. Telematics systems offer an ideal solution for the problems faced while manufacturing and delivering a wide range of products, from consumer wares to industrial merchandise. IoT and telematics systems improve efficiency and productivity while drastically reducing operating costs, on virtually every aspect of every delivery. Effective fleet management with the help of IoT systems can help companies improve their bottom-line and increase revenue.

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