FleetMatics has announced a software upgrade to enhance its GPS vehicle tracking services. With this upgrade, the easy-to-use vehicle tracking system with its easy and in-depth reporting functions will offer greater flexibility to fleet owners. FleetMatics customers will get this software upgrade for free.

The upgraded software has been developed taking into account client inputs. A feature “My Preferences” has personalized the software to set defaults for a variety of functions like adding new display to the “Dashboard” and reporting automation. Preferences for live tracking and route relay maps can also be set as per the choice and convenience of the users.

Another extremely useful function is the ability to detect excessive speed or unauthorized journeys and alert fleet managers to detect if the vehicle had been left idle for more than a specific amount of time. The software enables online monitoring of the vehicle with live alerts via e-mails.

The vehicle tracking software helps improve productivity and reduce the cost incurred on vehicles.

Vehicle thefts in the UK have reportedly fallen by almost 12% in the year ending June 2008. However, vehicle tracking leader TRACKER is advising motorists not to drop their guard and should be extremely diligent to protect their vehicles. Data indicates that cars are stolen as a result of car key thefts due to burglary or robbery as well as fraud.  Even though there is an overall drop in vehicle theft, one of the biggest challenges for vehicle owners is the increasing sophistication of thieves.Since personal cars are amongst the most expensive personal possessions, vehicle ownershave to therefore ensure adequate security and protection for their vehicles. Installing and availing of a proven vehicle tracking system will therefore be money extremely well spent. 

Siemens has helped set up CarFinder at Heathrow's Terminal 5, a technology that allows the location of a vehicle simply with the inserting of a parking ticket into an interactive machine and also helping a driver locating space available in a car park, reports SourceSecurity.According to the report, this is part of a GBP 9 million security scheme that the company has developed comprising Siemens enhanced automatic number plate recognition technology (ANPR), Car Finder, barrier control, bay monitoring, CCTV with digital recording, and digital signage, all feeding into a central hub, the NCP Terminal 5 control centre.Using about 35 infrared  cameras, the system not only lets the car driver know the car was parked but also provides information on various access points to the car to make it extremely easy for the driver to get back to the car. More details about CarFinder here.   

In what is touted as a first for the UK telematics industry, a vehicle tracking device from Navman Wireless, the Qube, is now certified suitable for installation in vehicles transporting hazardous materials after meeting the Essential Health and Safety Requirements for Category 3G of the ATEX directive, reports The Transport News Network.

This is a significant development for the UK petrochemical companies since these companies previously couldn't benefit from the features of a vehicle tracking system. While use of a vehicle tracking system for safety reasons has been recommended for petrochem companies, the lack of a safe/ secure system that could meet the requisite safety standards was a problem plaguing this sector. In that respect, the certification of the Qube is certainly a significant development.

BOX Telematics from the West Midlands have launched a new tracking product, “BOX-tracker” for the fleet and asset tracking industry. The GPS/GPRS device uses the latest modem and receiver technology from Telit and features numerous over-the-air programmable parameters that give customers enormous control of their devices and on-the-fly configurability. The data sent over GPRS will be kept as small as possible to keep data costs to a minimum.

Used in conjunction with 3rd party application service providers (Tracking Companies), the BOX-tracker  will enable the end customer to manage their fleet and mobile resources via real-time information containing journey details, location, status and event reporting.

The customer will have two options to choose from “plugged” i.e. to be installed into any type of vehicle or “un-plugged” a battery operated version for any type of tracking.