Expert Panel: Telematics
EXPERT PANEL TELEMATICS How is technology enabling a shift in the way we travel? And will new mobility trends have a role within fleets? Our telematics expert panelists give their views
Darryll Finch, Smart Vehicle Product Owner, O2
Colin Ferguson, MD of fleet & optimisation, Trakm8
Martin Kadhim, sales director, Lightfoot
Having worked in fleet telematics for over 20 years, Darryll is excited by all its innovations, none as much as the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT). He’s product owner for O2 Smart Vehicle with responsibility for its future roadmap. O2 Smart Vehicle gives fleet managers and leasing companies real-time visibility of their fleet.
As a former fleet manager, Colin’s extensive understanding of the industry assists Trakm8 in providing businesses with better efficiencies, improved safety initiatives and significant cost reductions. He is the managing director of fleet and optimisation at telematics provider Trakm8.
Martin has extensive knowledge in the IT, advertising and automotive sectors. He is passionate about the use of technology and psychology to improve driver behaviour, lower costs and reduce harmful emissions. He has been a pioneer in the sector since 2006, playing a key role in the growth of Lightfoot.
New ways of travelling – such as using apps to book taxis in the case of Uber and ride-sharing schemes such as BlaBlaCar are becoming increasingly used by consumers in their private lives. It is the rapid rise in technology and connected devices that is shaping ‘mobility’, and many firms in the tech space are now competing with traditional car manufacturers to offer travel solutions. “Technology has catalysed a transportation revolution in the consumer world,” says Mike Hemming from Masternaut. “Car sharing, ride sharing, mobile ticket, GPS navigation systems and the like have transformed how most people travel.” Many auto-makers are responding to this trend. Ford, for example, has recently launched a Smart Mobility Innovation Office in East
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London as part of its plans to become a “mobility” company. It hopes the new hub will help the company commercialise smart technologies such as ride-sharing and driverless cars. Towards the end of 2016, Volkswagen launched a new mobility services company, MOIA, to keep up with changing mobility patterns. It aims to develop a deep understanding of new forms of mobility and devise products such as a ride hailing app and on-demand pooling services. Ford and VW are not alone, with many other manufacturers investing in ‘mobility’ as well as traditional car production. Business travel So what does this mean for business travel? Much like the consumer market, a new way of thinking about travel is being adopted in fleet
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Mike Hemming, UK director of professional Services, Masternaut Mike has over 12 years’ telematics experience. This has involved implementing telematics solutions across the globe and partnering with large companies such as Shell and the National Grid to provide consultancy services aimed at improving driver behaviour, reducing fleet risk and maximising return on investment.
operations. For many, it is no longer simply about running a fleet of vehicles, but rather finding the best way for staff to get from A to B – even if that includes a mix of options. Darryll Finch from O2 Smart Vehicle believes that ‘mobility management’ is a new approach to fleet management that looks holistically at all aspects of personal and business travel. He says: “Fewer and fewer organisations are asking ‘what kind of vehicle do I give Fred?’ and instead asking ‘what’s the best way to get Fred from A to B’?” “Using a variety of measures and analytics tools – including cost, time, duty of care and health & safety – a mobility management system will make the best choice for the business and the employee in each case.” Colin Ferguson from Trakm8 points out that some companies are going beyond the