| A FleetWatch
special
|
November 2001 |
|
SPECIAL
FEATURE
|
 |
VEHICLE
TRACKING - The Third Phase
Never before has anything had such a profound impact on the movement of
vehicles and the flow of goods as has vehicle tracking and electronic
fleet management. From a mere dot on a screen ten years ago through to
limited instructions to the driver and crew, we have now entered a third,
very exciting and highly technical phase. It is not quite star wars but it
is definitely in the realm of what we once called science fiction except
this is reality. In this special feature, Andrew Parker takes a look at
the state of play.
SECURITY
NOT THE ONLY ISSUE
Logistics and supply chain management are relatively new areas
of business focus, and have been driven by the dramatic evolution of
digital and electronic communications in recent years, writes Andrew
Parker.
Security emphasis remains strong
While there
is a noticeable trend for vehicle tracking companies to provide
certain parameters of vehicle or fleet management capabilities in
their service packages, the emphasis on security remains as strong
as ever - if not more so.
Suppliers
face TOUGH challenges
To say the vehicle tracking and recovery industry has been
through the mill is a bit of an understatement. Over the last decade
we have seen any number of what were termed 'major players' bite the
dust and disappear. The risks of failure remain to this day although
the market is now matured and somewhat more settled. FleetWatch
asked Orchid MD, Steve Lunn, for his viewpoint on how things stand
at the moment.
Messages from SPACE
The
next time you see a meteor burning up in the earth's atmosphere,
stretch your imagination a little. Did you know that as a meteor -
which has travelled vast distances and through countless galaxies -
disappears in fiery ball of sparks and flames, it leaves a global
communications system in its wake? You didn't? Well read on. It may
sound like science fiction but it is as real as gravity.
VESA
SPAT
Messages from the DIVIDE
The Vehicle Security
Association (VESA) has come under flak from one of its own members,
Orbtech, while another player in the market, Irenco, doesn't see the
VESA stamp of approval as an essential or value added creditation. Andrew
Parker talks to all sides.
EXPORTING
SUCCESS
Although
we have known here on the home front for some time just how good our
vehicle tracking and recovery technology is, South African tracking
and security systems are increasingly being recognised as leading
edge in a number of overseas countries in Europe, Asia, Australia
and the United States. Digicore and Netstar are just two prime
examples of local companies which have cracked the big time in
foreign waters. Matrix Vehicle Tracking has also made good in
Australia.
Rentrak
links with Super
Rentrak, a company born in 1996 as the vehicle reaction and
recovery arm of the then Jasco-owned Datatrak organisation, has
received a major boost to its all round efforts with the Super Group
buying a substantial stake in the company writes Patrick O'Leary.
GPS
Solution
Keeping it simple for
clients while using the most sophisticated web-based and satellite
technology to effectively keep track of vehicles is what Global
Track has achieved for the southern African market writes Patrick
O'Leary.
Confident
of SUCCESS
Ever seen a company take
the market by storm? Sometimes confidence has no bounds and in the
vehicle tracking and recovery business, you need it by the
truckload.
Low
Cost Trunking
Wireless communication has been given a boost with the advent of
the SmarTrunk 11 an intelligent digital trunking system, now
available from Multisource.
REMOTE
TALK
With more and more local and international companies seeing Africa
as the place to be involved in from a business front, it has become
apparent that communications are often problematical - if they exist
at all.
more...