Keeping track of the trucks

By RICHARD WOOD

High-tech exporter Navman has started a wireless fleet management service in New Zealand, using Vodafone's GPRS mobile data network.

The Navman Wireless vehicle location service started in Britain in May and is also being considered for the US market.

Navman's Halo devices attach to the top of each vehicle in a fleet and send global positioning (GPS) satellite information to a base. A mapping system using a browser-style interface shows where vehicles are.

The system has been piloted in Auckland by field crews of infrastructure maintenance firm Excell Corporation, which is using it primarily in its services to Manukau City Council's Manukau Water business unit.

Tim Gibson, business manager for water, drainage and associated services at Excell, said the Halo devices would enable the control centre to keep track of field crews and dispatch them more efficiently.

Excell has the Navman device on 10 vehicles. It is a circular roof-mountable unit combining antenna, GPS and GPRS modem.

Mobile network provider Vodafone supplies a data feed back to the base using its GPRS wireless data service.

Navman's mapping software uses maps supplied by Auckland's Air Logistics.

The positioning data can be sent at set time intervals or when a vehicle moves a set distance. Excell has data sent every 10 minutes and every 5km travelled.

Gibson said the monitoring nature of the system had not turned out to be an issue for staff.

Excell had taken an open approach on Navman's implementation, and the visibility of the solution was a key factor in choosing the system.

Navman has an optional two-way text messaging communicator, which is used in about 30 per cent of installations in Europe. It connects by cable to the Halo.

Gibson said Excell was using a more sophisticated alternative but he would not give further details, citing issues of competitive advantage.

Vodafone will also be able to market, bill and support the total solution.

Navman's product does not use Telecom's competing CDMA network at this stage.

Jamie Macdonald, executive vice-president of the land navigation division of Navman, said typical cost for the GPS fleet service over three years would be $120 a vehicle a month plus $20 a month for each two-way communicator.

Navman started selling land products only 15 months ago.

They are contributing to a doubling in revenue for this year to around $60 million to $70 million.

In other countries the firm also has consumer products for personal navigation and car in-vehicle navigation.