Eurotelematik ontwikkelt samen met ZF Telematiek apps voor Openmatics
- Leading provider of telematics services cooperates with ZF for the development of apps
- Openmatics allows for city bus and truck telematics to be integrated and standardized
At the IAA 2010, ZF Friedrichshafen AG will present the first apps for the new telematics platform Openmatics. An electronic tachograph for data recording and an order tracking system are the first applications for fleet operators, developed together with the telematics provider eurotelematik.
Openmatics is a powerful telematics system which has been developed by ZF Friedrichshafen AG and the chip manufacturer Intel. The system which consists of an "on-board unit" (OBU) and a software platform will cover all requirements of telematics services and is to help standardize the market in the future. Data can be sent to a web portal via 3G, GPRS, and WLAN. This is where software applications, also known as apps, are in charge of the specific evaluation and processing of data. Funkwerk eurotelematik GmbH, a leading provider of telematics solutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, is ZF's first partner for the development of the apps for fleet management.
Perfect partnership
"eurotelematik is an important bearer of know-how in the forwarding field and contributes a lot of expertise to the Openmatics project. With this strong partner it will be possible for us to develop suitable solutions for the industry which meet the requirements of the telematics market", says Dr. Michael Paul, Executive Vice President for Technology at ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Currently, ZF is developing two apps with the company from Ulm which will be presented to the public at the IAA 2010.
In connection with Openmatics, the "eLog" app works as an electronic tachograph which records all data relevant for a trip: it reliably saves the date, exact times of departure and arrival, kilometers traveled, distance, place of departure and final destination. The recorded information can be retrieved via the Openmatics web portal.
With the "mOrderFulfilment" app, the forwarding agents can view the individual orders any time to see whether the goods have already arrived at the customer's or whether they are still on the road. At the same time, it is possible to contact the driver via a display. This is a swift and uncomplicated way of sharing information and exchanging new orders. "mOrderFulfilment" can be connected with the respective ERP software (Enterprise Resource Planning) which is used in the company and allows for smooth data exchange.
Open and independent
So far, telematics solutions for fleet owners and transportation authorities are only available as separately existing systems. One major disadvantage for the customers is the lacking flexibility: If a certain hardware is installed in the vehicle, it is only possible to use applications which the corresponding telematics provider has in his product portfolio. A glance at the market for telematics solutions reveals: The more demanding the user requirements, the more specifically does a telematics system have to be fine-tuned to the corresponding application. If the users' requirements change, an adaptation of the telematics system is often not possible at all or very difficult. In contrast, Openmatics has been designed to be as open and independent as possible.Especially major transportation companies and forwarding agents with a mixed fleet could benefit from a standard: Instead of installing a variety of hardware boxes and antennas in and on their vehicles and integrating these in the CAN bus data traffic, Openmatics provides a platform for all solutions.
Funkwerk eurotelematik GmbH
Funkwerk eurotelematik GmbH which is headquartered in Ulm is the leading developer of technologically high-value telematics systems. The company's customers include fleet managers, trade, authorities, and OEMs, which are supported by eurotelematik with its expertise in the fields of navigation, mobile data communication, embedded software, and the designing of man-machine interfaces.
Last Update: 24.04.2012