WHAT IS TELEMATICS?
Telematics are an interdisciplinary field encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, electrical engineering, computer science.
Hence the application of telematics is with any of the following: The technology of sending, receiving and storing information via telecommunication devices in conjunction with affecting control on remote objects.
The integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, for application in vehicles and with control of vehicles on the move.
Telematics includes but is not limited to GPS technology integrated with computers and mobile communications technology in automotive navigation systems.
Most narrowly, the term has evolved to refer to the use of such systems within road vehicles, in which case the term vehicle telematics may be used. In contrast, telemetry is the transmission of measurements from the location of origin to the location of computing and consumption, especially without affecting control on the remote objects.
Telemetry is typically applied in testing of flight objects but has multiple other uses.
How Telematics Relates to GPS Technology
Under the “telematics” umbrella is the integration of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and computers and mobile devices. The term “telematics” has even evolved to refer specifically to GPS vehicle tracking and, at no coincidence, inspired the name for Fleetmatics.
The Benefits of Fleet Telematics
Fleet telematics is a way of monitoring the location, movement, status and behavior of a vehicle within a fleet. This is achieved through a combination of a GPS receiver and an electronic GSM device that is installed in each vehicle, which then communicates with the user and web-based software.
In addition to location data, a fleet telematics solution provides a list of vehicles showing the status of each. You can know when a vehicle starts and shuts down as well as idling status, location and speed. This information gives you complete, near up-to-the-minute knowledge of your fleet activities in one centralized, web-based interface.
All of this information helps you:
• Increase productivity
• Reduce labor costs
• Control fuel costs
• Improve customer service
• Increase fleet safety & security
• Reduce operating expenses
• Reduce unauthorised vehicle use
