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Revolutionizing Fleet Services with Aeris IoT Watchtower

Introduction

A leading fleet services software company that provides GPS telematics transportation technology systems to federal, state, and local governments, as well as private enterprises recently signed on as an Aeris Watchtower customer. It leverages state-of-the-art hardware and focuses on back-office software designed to suit the unique needs of its diverse clientele.

 

Core Areas of Expertise

The company excels in three critical areas of fleet management:

  1. Troubleshooting Fleet Vehicles:
    Utilizes On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) trackers to monitor vital vehicle data, including odometer readings, dashboard error codes, and GPS locations.
  2. Personal Area Networks (PAN):
    • Manages PANs in trucks or squad cars to run laptops and other sensors.
    • Monitors and records crucial activities, such as whether a squad car’s lights are on or if an officer has drawn their firearm.
  3. Dashcam Services:
    Provides video telematics solutions designed to enhance driver safety and boost business productivity.

In addition to these specialized services, it emphasizes deep customer engagement and strong relationship management, ensuring tailored solutions and superior support for their clients.

 

Connectivity and Reporting

The company provides asset tracking for fleets like the State Department of Transportation and School District Police Departments. By leveraging our connectivity platform, it can manage their fleet telemetry and generate nightly reports on active units. This is achieved by matching the Integrated Circuit Card Identification (ICCID) of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card with the customer’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. The result is a detailed report showing which devices are active.

 

Enhancing Business Efficiency

Our collaboration helps the company by creating reports that enable accurate pricing and billing for their customers. With the ability to generate precise, real-time data, it can ensure optimal fleet performance, enhance safety, and drive business productivity.

In summary, the company integrates cutting-edge hardware with sophisticated back-office software to provide tailored, effective fleet management solutions. Their focus on troubleshooting, PAN management, dashcam services, and strong customer relationships positions them as leaders in the fleet services industry.

 

Customer Challenge

Basic fleet telemetry and management is a highly competitive, commodity business. To differentiate themselves and increase profitability, the company was keen to offer additional services to their customers. They faced several key challenges:

  1. Enhancing Value Added Services:
    By adding new services, the company aims to diversify their offerings and boost profitability. This not only attracts new customers but also strengthens relationships with existing clients.
  2. Ensuring Product Safety and Security:
    It white labels a portion of their product set, making it crucial to ensure their offerings are both safe and secure.
  3. Navigating a Crowded Dashcam Market:
    As the company enters the dashcam market, they face stiff competition from larger, established players. They need to carve out their niche and stand out amid the competition.

A significant concern in the dashcam space is the potential recording of sensitive information. For example, a company servicing uniforms for military bases must ensure their vehicle dashcams are either covered up or disconnected when on base. Unauthorized recording devices could potentially transmit classified information about the location and terrain to hostile entities, posing significant security risks.

The company needed to address these challenges adeptly to succeed in offering secure, valuable, and competitive fleet management solutions.

 

Our Solution

Aeris IoT Watchtower Awareness is a comprehensive solution that provides per-device traffic monitoring, detects anomalous traffic patterns and suspicious events, and generates risk assessment reports. Integrated seamlessly into our connectivity platform, Aeris IoT Watchtower Awareness can be deployed quickly and scaled to meet the needs of any size operation.

When Aeris first pitched the IoT Watchtower solution in November, there was immediate interest. Demonstrating the solution revealed that seven devices were transmitting data to unknown destinations. The detailed report identified two of these transmissions as being sent to OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) countries, which raised significant concerns for the company. This discovery led them to perform additional due diligence, especially given their extensive government contracts and large client base and despite initial budget constraints, signed on as a customer in June.

 

Outcome and Benefits

Aeris IoT Watchtower Awareness enabled the customer to provide thorough reporting to their customers, ensuring that traffic from dashcams is securely and exclusively transmitted to their own servers. This capability not only safeguards sensitive information but also enhances their service offering, making their solutions more secure and attractive to potential customers.

Through our strong customer relationship, superior product offering, and responsive support, Aeris has become an integral partner, helping them navigate complex market challenges and expand their service portfolio.