MiX Telematics Optimizes Vehicle Tracking with AirPrime Modules

MiX Telematics is a global provider of information and related services for the efficient and effective management of mobile assets. MiX Telematics has built a solid reputation for designing, developing and selling innovative fleet management technology and services for the consumer and commercial vehicle market, primarily in four specific categories: Tracking & Tracing, Driver Safety, Fleet Management, and Compliance.

The MiX Telematics range of products and services is sold in over 75 countries and boasts an install base of over 450,0000 units worldwide.

Challenges

Tachographs are used to record vehicle information, including driving time, to ensure compliance with government regulations. Traditional analogue tachographs recorded the data on a waxed paper disc, whereas modern DTCOs record data on on-board computers. Until recently, the only way of accessing DTCO data was a manual extraction from the on-board computer of each single vehicle at the end of the trip, using a combination of a memory card and an authentication smart card.

MiX Telematics and Sierra Wireless launched a new tachograph data collection and fleet management solution, marketed exclusively by Continental as the VDO DLD. The VDO DLD is the first in a new breed of intelligent remote data harvesting systems which will make life easier and business more profitable for fleet managers worldwide.

Solution

The new VDO DLD system revolutionizes the process by securely connecting to vehicles via GPRS cellular networks and directly transferring the data to backend archiving systems over the Internet, with no manual intervention. This remote data access is enabled by the Sierra Wireless AirPrime WMP100 wireless module, which acts as a wireless modem for voice and data transmission over GSM/GPRS networks.

Taking full advantage of the wireless module’s capabilities, MiX Telematics has made the VDO DLD into a complete, autonomous fleet management system. In addition to the remote harvesting of DTCO data, the VDO DLD features the ability to unlock fleet management capabilities to fleet owners, including driver and vehicle performance monitoring, real-time tracking, trip reporting and more. The product has been designed to be re-programmable and upgradable over the air, thus protecting the fleet owner’s investment and ensuring an ongoing ROI.

Charles Tasker, Managing Director of MiX Telematics (International), says: “We have created a new class of solution that goes far beyond the regulatory requirements for recovery of tachograph data. It leverages the potential of wireless communication to collect DTCO data in a much more efficient manner, and it also provides investment protection via over-the-air product upgrades. As a result, customers will see a significant reduction in the time needed to collect this data which is truly cumbersome using current methodologies and they know that they can upgrade to an industry-leading fleet management solution any time without new equipment installations.”

Tracking and fleet management are perfect illustrations of how wireless machine-to-machine communication can improve business processes and generate new revenue streams.