Two recent researches conducted in the field of fleet management software have revealed some interesting statistics about the number of fleet management software installations and the rapid growth in the use of fleet telematics.
The RAC telematics report prepared by the UK based vehicle and breakdown services provider surveyed 1,000 UK businesses between September 2015 and April 2016, while the second source for the data is the Berg Insight research, carried out by the M2M/IoT market research firm based in Sweden.
According to the RAC, the number of UK-based businesses relying on telematics and fleet management software has almost doubled since last year:
- 65% of the businesses surveyed now use telematics (38% during last year)
- Corporate sector usage has gone from 29% to 67%
- Interviewees cited lower fuel costs, fewer accidents and reductions in maintenance costs as some of the benefits gained through acquiring the technology
A growing number of users who acquire fleet management software soon see beyond the shadow of the Big Brother stigma surrounding telematics technology and focus on the benefits of the innovative technology. Companies quickly realise the benefits and are keen to exploit all the various advantages such as the ability to automate manual processes, greater insights from the new data available, vehicle diagnostics, ‘vehicle connectivity’, assistance with duty of care and an increase in accident management technology.
The future is here and, according to the report by Berg Insight, it is catching on fast as the number of fleet management systems installed looks set to top 16 million by 2020.
Fleet management systems are now viewed as must-have tools, rather than an 'optional extra', which leverage vehicles' 'connectivity' to help enterprises collect information about their fleets of cars and trucks including their location, speed, and routes.
The mentality regarding telematics has changed over time together with the technology itself and the automotive sector: over the past year, there has been a significant uptick in the number of connected cars on the road. And as Internet integration becomes more commonplace, the automobile as we know it will transform. Over the next five to ten years, this newfound integration is expected to change the car ownership model, create a new platform for consumers to access content, lead to fully autonomous vehicles and revolutionize the auto industry.
