Vodafone M2M Chosen by Skypatrol for Tracking Service

11 August 2015 – Vodafone today announced it is working with Skypatrol, a leading supplier of integrated GPS tracking solutions, to bring reliable and efficient connectivity to their electronic-tracking services across nearly 1 million different devices installed in vehicles, construction equipment, and oil and mining operations worldwide. Skypatrol aims to use Vodafone’s global network to address customer demand in the US and in more than a dozen countries throughout Latin America including Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Peru. Skypatrol plans to activate more than 10,000 new M2M SIMS per month.

Skypatrol provides turnkey risk mitigation and tracking solutions for the vehicle finance market, new car dealers, rental car companies and fleet managers globally. Skypatrol also provides GPS hardware bundled with Vodafone’s Global M2M SIM to telematics service providers around the world through an easily configurable Application Program Interface (API) that allows the service providers to quickly deploy any Skypatrol device.

For example:

• Companies that already have their own fleet or GPS tracking solution can use Skypatrol hardware pre-configured with a Vodafone Global M2M SIM that reduces both data consumption requirements and costs. Using a simple API interface, customers can quickly integrate and deploy GPS devices on their own platforms in a matter of days, allowing them to activate their solutions in new markets faster than ever before.
• Skypatrol provides solutions for motorcycle dealerships and new car lots in the Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) space in addition to serving the vehicle finance market often referred to as “Buy Here Pay Here” (BHPH). These turnkey solutions can now be launched rapidly in any country supported by Vodafone’s Global M2M SIM.
• For companies managing fleets of any size, Skypatrol’s Fleet Command moves beyond traditional GPS tracking to fleet automation with data analytics.  Other award winning solutions like Defender 2.0 and PROTEKGPS allow companies to make informed decisions that improve fleet utilization and the bottom line.

Vodafone’s global network and the Vodafone Global M2M SIM means Skypatrol can provide these services around the world with confidence without being distracted with the task of country-by-country IT integration. Skypatrol can focus on its core business and on providing the best products and services to its customers.

Skypatrol’s CEO, Robert Rubin said, “Our goal is to provide our clients peace of mind with reliable products and services whether it is tracking a vehicle or valued cargo, or assuring the safety of a person by accurately knowing their location. Vodafone allows us to continue to provide these location-based services to our customers and supports our continued growth inside and outside of the United States.”

Vodafone Group’s Head of Machine-to-Machine for the Americas Andrew Morawski (above) said, “Our M2M technology supports all of Skypatrol US and international solutions, helping to provide reliable connectivity for their customers. The global nature of our SIM and our ability to provide a global M2M approach across a diverse range of products is what makes Skypatrol able to confidently communicate with their devices worldwide.”

About Vodafone Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
Vodafone Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connects previously isolated machines or devices to the internet, delivering new functionality and enhanced services without the need for human intervention. Supported by more than 1,300 dedicated employees, Vodafone’s global M2M platform makes it easy for global businesses to manage centrally M2M deployments across multiple territories, with greater control and at a lower cost than previously possible.

In 2014 Vodafone was named global M2M leader by Machina Research, for the third year in a row. For more information, please visit  https://m2m.vodafone.com/home/.

About Vodafone
Vodafone is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 55 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 30 June 2015, Vodafone had 449 million mobile customers and 12 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.

About Skypatrol
Skypatrol builds innovative software tools combined with proprietary GPS hardware and firmware to help businesses monitor, protect and optimize mobile assets. Skypatrol serves many markets including vehicle finance, fleet management, mobile asset tracking, automobile dealerships, outdoor sports and motor sports. Skypatrol is a global leader in integrated GPS tracking solutions on a wide variety of platforms including GSM and CDMA cellular networks and Iridium satellites. Skypatrol serves customers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit http://www.skypatrol.com.

Source: Vodafone

Sierra Wireless Selected by BNP’s Arval for Global Telematics Solution

29 Jun 2015 – Sierra Wireless today announced that Arval, a leader in full service vehicle leasing, fleet management, and usage-based insurance owned by BNP Paribas, has selected Sierra Wireless device-to-cloud technology to build its new global telematics solution.

The Arval telematics solution leverages the Sierra Wireless AirVantage® cloud, enabling Arval and its customers to monitor and manage a vehicle’s usage through a telematics on-board unit wirelessly connected to the cellular network with Sierra Wireless AirPrime® embedded modules. Targeted at enterprise fleet managers, the service enables them to track mileage, fuel consumption, driver behavior, and maintenance, as well as utilize usage-based insurance (UBI) models for cost savings.

Arval selected Sierra Wireless because the AirVantage cloud provides an accelerated development path. The cloud platform was already built and integrated with AirPrime embedded modules, and was able to easily connect to third-party application servers and their own web applications. With the wireless integration and management already covered, Arval was able to focus on the portion of the solution that offers value and differentiates it from competitors. In addition, AirVantage leverages standard device protocols, making it compatible with a wide variety of connected devices and future-proof in terms of compatibility with additional devices and services as Arval expands its service offering.

“We were looking for a technology partner to help us enhance our business and our customer service offering,” said Paul Gourley, Technology Director for Arval. “Sierra Wireless delivered the expertise and global scale we needed, delivering a full solution that integrates the devices, the device data, our mobile network operator’s infrastructure, and our back-end IT systems. This solution vastly simplified the process of bringing our new services to market and will enable us to scale rapidly as we deploy internationally.”

“Arval is an industry leader with a clear vision of how a connected service model can enable the company to better serve its customers and enhance its core business,” said Emmanuel Walckenaer, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions for Sierra Wireless (above). “This collaboration demonstrates the value of a device-to-cloud solution in accelerating innovation in transportation and fleet management, but the model works across many industries and applications. We enable an organization to focus on developing the portion of the solution that is unique and tailored to its customers, knowing that the wireless connectivity and communication functions are already integrated and tested.”

The AirVantage cloud is an integrated platform of services that enables organizations to quickly build and deploy IoT solutions, managing devices, subscriptions, and application data through a single interface worldwide. AirVantage provides the data services to securely collect, store, and organize data streams so they are easily available to web and mobile applications, enterprise systems, or analytics tools. AirVantage also helps customers manage large deployments with dashboards and APIs to monitor the health of machines in the field and update them when required.

Please visit the Sierra Wireless website for more information about AirVantage cloud, AirPrime wireless modules, and the company’s solutions for transportation and fleet management.

About Sierra Wireless     
Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ:SWIR) (TSX:SW) is building the Internet of Things with intelligent wireless solutions that empower organizations to innovate in the connected world. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of 2G, 3G and 4G embedded modules and gateways, seamlessly integrated with their secure cloud and connectivity services. OEMs and enterprises worldwide trust Sierra Wireless’s innovative solutions to get their connected products and services to market faster.

Sierra Wireless has more than 900 employees globally and operates R&D centres in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.sierrawireless.com.

Source: Sierra Wireless

Numerex Launches FASTrack PrePaid Tracking Solution

20 May 2015 – Numerex, a leading provider of interactive machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions enabling the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced the launch of FASTrack PrePaid – a new, low-cost, turnkey offering that combines advanced vehicle tracking, monitoring and recovery, and other desirable features into one, simple-to-use, economical solution.

Using FASTrack PrePaid, fleet managers and dealers can provide vehicle owners with a solution that offers driver-behavior monitoring as well as an economical tracking and recovery solution for their vehicles.

The easy-to-deploy offering is built on Numerex's award-winning, cloud-based platform and is coupled with the Numerex network. The offering is available as a bundled solution with options for 24 or 36 months of prepaid service.

Driver safety and security features provide the ability to monitor vehicle fluid levels, receive maintenance reminders and perform remote door unlocking. Driving behavior patterns including excessive speeding, braking and idle times are also automatically logged and can be used to identify opportunities to improve fuel efficiency and general road safety.

Vehicles can also be effectively monitored with user-defined "geo-fences" that trigger web portal, email, or text message alerts should the vehicles venture beyond pre-set boundaries or routes. In the event of theft, the vehicle starter can be remotely disabled, helping facilitate recovery. A viewable route history also helps monitor, track and trace vehicles as necessary.

"FASTrack PrePaid fills an important gap in the market and delivers an affordable, easy-to-use vehicle monitoring, tracking and recovery solution that enhances the security, safety and productivity of drivers and their vehicles," said Mike Lang, SVP and President of IoT Solutions at Numerex (above). "This new offering also provides great opportunities for car dealers to enhance their own accessory revenues when their customers are finalizing the purchase of a vehicle."

FASTrack PrePaid is compatible with a range of popular vehicle monitoring devices. The application is accessible from smart phones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs.

About Numerex
Numerex Corp. (Nasdaq:NMRX ) is a leading provider of interactive and on-demand machine-to-machine (M2M) enterprise solutions enabling the Internet of Things (IoT). The Company provides its technology and services through its integrated M2M horizontal platforms, which are generally sold on a subscription basis. The Company offers Numerex DNA® solutions including hardware and smart Devices, cellular and satellite Network services, and software Applications utilizing Numerex solution technology. The Company also provides business services to enable the development of efficient, reliable, and secure solutions while accelerating deployment. Numerex is ISO 27001 information security-certified, highlighting the Company's focus on M2M data security, service reliability and around-the-clock support of its customers' M2M solutions. For additional information, please visit www.numerex.com.

Source: Numerex