IoT In Everyday Life: Fleet Management Solutions

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine (M2M) communication for fleet management can be a powerful combination. We looked at various industries in which M2M solutions not only help to optimize a business but can even save lives.

Vehicle telematics, which are based on M2M technology, are a popular tool for efficient fleet management. The range of uses is extensive and so, too, can be the advantages for your business. Fleet management tools gather data about vehicle locations, driving styles, traffic situations and much more. In practice vehicles using fleet management solutions can be located anytime, anywhere. Let’s have a look at the different ways for our business customers to benefit from fleet management solutions based on M2M.

The transportation and logistics sectors are natural candidates. Here, by using M2M solutions, short-term orders can be dispatched to drivers nearby avoiding downtime. The traffic information provided by the tracking solution ensures flexibility and faster deliveries. Even working hours can be monitored through fleet management solutions. An additional control unit is letting employees, for instance craftsmen, choose whether being with a client for a repair job or visiting the warehouse for supplies is more waypoint-efficient.

But also for other businesses vehicle telematics assist fleet managers to monitor the driving style of their employees, which vehicles require maintenance and how the use of vehicles can be optimized. M2M solutions also eliminate the need to manually monitor the state of the vehicle in forms. M2M also allows companies to at their request simplify meeting their legal obligations by electronically submitting their mileage reports and delivery sheets. Public transportation services can use the collected data to improve their routes and connections. The result: All data collected by the M2M systems is transformed into relevant information allowing decision-makers to better plan and act, saving time and money in the process.

But aside from cost efficiency, M2M especially rescue solutions can even save lives in the healthcare industry. In case of an emergency, it is possible to immediately identify the vehicle closest to the scene of an accident via embedded technology without losing time by having to communicate via radio first. The service also takes traffic disturbances into consideration, enabling the emergency staff to guide the ambulance via the fastest route. Some M2M systems even record and transfer the conversation in the driving ambulance, informing doctors at the hospital about the measures already taken by paramedics.

The possibilities are endless. But what is the basis for M2M communication? Safe, solid, high-performance networks. They ensure that information can move reliably from point A to point B. At Deutsche Telekom we work continuously to improve these networks. Cooperation helps us achieve that goal: For example, our Hungarian subsidiary established a strategic partnership with iData, one of the most successful Hungarian companies developing and selling fleet management systems. Currently, they are using over 14,000 SIM cards from Magyar Telekom in their solutions.

Together, we strive to develop new solutions, for instance providing information about the temperature of a vehicle’s cooling system, the vehicle’s exact position, fuel consumption and also the driver’s fuel-consuming driving pattern. The dispatch center is also immediately informed if somebody attempts to steal fuel from the tank – thousands of kilometers away.