Vehicle Telematics is the combination of several technologies that converge together to create a system that can be used to track vehicles. Generally, an onboard system is fitted into the vehicle (often named as GPS Vehicle Tracker) which collects and transmits the latitude and longitude of the location in real-time using a Satellite Global Positioning System (GPS) or GLONASS to identify the location information of any vehicle on road and Telecom Infrastructure (Cellular Network) to transmit the information. Central Application Server receives data from onboard GPS Tracking device, store the data securely and exhibits the required information through Intuitive software or web application accessible on Desktop, Smartphone, etc. Users can view vehicle data like real-time location, speed, time, etc. through maps and charts.
There are many devices available that do tracking, generally classified as “passive” and “active” devices. Devices which communicate in near real-time by using cellular network to feed data to the monitoring server are active devices where as “Passive” devices store GPS location, speed, heading, and sometimes a trigger event such as key on/off, door open/closed which can be restored to application database server manually by removing device from vehicle after it reach the destination, and connecting it with the computer application server. Modern tracking devices are providing much more than location tracking, information regarding the speed of the vehicle, fuel usage, tire pressure, in general, complete control of the vehicle can be done through a remote location.
Today, many cities are exploring the idea of having a vehicle tracking system in there transportation system to manage their public transportation fleet for optimum use for their citizens. Companies are finding Vehicle Tracking well suited for their need to know the exact location of their cargo and vehicle to maintain the supply chain. Companies with large fleet of vehicle in large geographical area tend to use GPS-based tracking systems to curb on their overheads, provide better service with precise information about the vehicle location, and to increase their revenue.
Many Small – Medium Scale Commercial Transportation Organisations are using vehicle tracking devices to ensure safe transit , reduce fuel siphoning, and curb on exaggerated time delays. Many private organizations and schools are implementing GPS tracking and fleet management system to ensure safety and security to students/ staff during commuting through office transportation.