16 January 2017
Vodafone Qatar and Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (QMIC) have launched a partnership to provide fleet management service, a telematics service designed to track and perform logistics management for companies aiming to enhance productivity and tackle road safety issues.
The service utilises Vodafone’s Global Internet of Things (IoT) Platform that was launched in Qatar earlier this year. 

The main components of Vodafone’s fleet management service are a QMIC Masarak telematics tracking device coupled with a Vodafone global SIM installed in the vehicle. The Masarak system provides a tracking portal on a computer, which is accessed by the customer through the Internet or on a mobile phone. 

The telematics tracking device sends event reports to the customer via SMS, e-mail and pop-up signals. The service is also supported by Vodafone’s business care team who are available 24 hours to provide customer support, ensuring the smooth operation of the service for all of its users.

The fleet management service is an intelligent telematics service within the locally-built Masarak system that utilises latest mobility technologies to address Qatar’s needs for intelligent transportation. The service is powered by Masarak with strong differentiators including real-time traffic data, most updated GIS layers, and the ability to dynamically cater to the evolving requirements of the local market.  

Fleet management solutions deliver faster response times through more efficient job allocation, reduction in fuel costs due to shorter journeys and higher revenues as drivers can complete more jobs. 

Driver behaviour can also be monitored to encourage safer and more efficient driving and reduce insurance premiums. For all companies in this sector, IoT technology has been proven to help companies meet regulatory and corporate sustainability targets by reducing fuel use and carbon emissions.

“We are confident that our global expertise in IoT solutions and delivering fleet management services, coupled with QMIC’s locally engineered innovations and knowledge, will eliminate challenges companies in Qatar face in managing their fleet of vehicles. Ultimately this service will improve productivity and safety and significantly reduce costs,” said Ian Gray, Vodafone Qatar chief executive officer.

Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya, QMIC executive director (CEO) said, “We are excited about this partnership between Vodafone and QMIC to deliver one important service of our leading Masarak solution. This partnership falls in line with QMIC’s strategy to work with local and regional partners to promote innovative and differentiated locally-built services, securing the needs of the market”. Vodafone was recently named by Gartner as a worldwide leader in the Magic Quadrant for Managed Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Services for the third consecutive year. 

Businesses around the world are rapidly exploring the opportunities of IoT technology with 76% of them saying that IoT will be critical for future success and 48% using IoT to support large-scale business transformation, according to the latest Vodafone IoT Barometer.

© Gulf Times 2017