As Australian businesses transition their Telematics from 3G to 4G I thought it would be a good opportunity to provide some guidance on what I have found over the past two years with regards to the industry, suppliers and what this means for you the end user.
Change of ownership
There has been a lot of movement in Telematics business ownership both in Australia and New Zealand. Large players are entering the market, purchasing smaller players with the end goal of consolidating their businesses to increase their “units in the field”. So the business you think you know, has in fact changed hands.
Business Restructuring
Some suppliers have to now purchase hardware from another source essentially reducing their ability to simply upgrade a clients fleet due to incompatibility issues. Understanding if your supplier can continue to provide you with the same solution via a 4G network is critical.
Changes in Service Delivery
The other aspect is that for some smaller players they have been forced to reduce their service delivery especially after installation with clients complaining about Help Desks that require you to re-apply for a new “ticket” so that they can meet their internal KPI of a 30 day turn around on client issues.
Reduction in product development
One of the key selling points in a business takeover is the injection of new funds into the business allowing them to grow and improve products. Unfortunately for much of the Telematics industry the focus is on “Units in the Field” a key measurement for the new owner, much like the Mobile Phone telecommunication's industry.
As such, the capital injection isn’t forth coming and instead they are forced to focus on increasing their client base to appease the new shareholders.
New Solutions to old Issues
As the technology employed for Telematics matures there are new developments that can create great value for your business. These include Keyless Entry solutions matched with Pool Car Software. EV Evaluation Algorithms that provide guidance on which vehicles in your fleet would be suitable for replacement with an Electric Vehicle. Driver Fatigue and Distraction solutions integrated with Telematics to dramatically improve driver safety.
As always, don’t hesitate to contact us if would like assistance in sourcing a suitable Telematics Provider for your Fleet.