Release of 10.12.2013
- Complete recording of when and where snow has been removed via a sensor and GPS tracking system
- Cooperation with the Austrian telematics provider CEplus
- Snow-clearing vehicles in the Tyrolean Municipality of Gries am Brenner (Tyrol) best equipped with this solution
Telekom Austria Group M2M, together with the Upper Austrian telematics expert CEplus, have launched a new winter maintenance solution that can effectively track and record snow-clearing operations via M2M (Machine-to-Machine Communication) technology. Information about the exact location or the travelled route of snowplows can be stored via a cloud solution, which keeps track of where and when snow-clearing and spreading units have been deployed. Snow removal activities can now be recorded at any time.
This solution also allows for location control, tracking and tracing as well as anti-theft protection of snow-clearing vehicles. In case of liability-related issues, service providers can therefore prove that salt-spreading and snow-clearing operations have really taken place, effectively documenting the work accomplished by the vehicles.
"We are glad to be able to offer our customers an innovative snow-clearing solution just in time for the beginning of the winter. From now on, the use of snow removal vehicles will be tracked and recorded in real time. With this solution, we would like to help, for instance, the municipality of Gries am Brenner (Tyrol), which is particularly affected by snowfall, to keep track and document plowing operations. Moreover, this service, which was jointly developed with our partner CEplus, is not only limited to winter maintenance but can be universally deployed for fleet management thanks to its wide array of possible applications," said Bernd Liebscher, Managing Director Telekom Austria Group M2M, describing the advantages of this solution.
Gries am Brenner Focuses on Innovation
Gris am Brenner (Tyrol) is the first municipality in Austria to use this service: "We have opted for the winter maintenance service, jointly developed by Telekom Austria Group M2M and CEplus, because it offers everything from one single source: this applies to both telematics hardware and sensors as well as well to the software. Service implementation was rapid and uncomplicated. We are now best equipped for the winter," said Karl Mühlsteiger, mayor of Gries am Brenner. The municipality, which comprises roughly 1,300 inhabitants, is located in one of the snowiest regions
in Austria and has 4 snowplows. 50 cm of snow or even more per night are no exception in Gries am Brenner. In such situations, snow removal crews are in continual operation on snow-covered roads with a total length of 50 km. Complete documentation about when, where and how often an area has been cleared of snow by a specific vehicle provides useful information, which can be of crucial importance not only in case of legal disputes. Sensors do not only keep track of the travelled route but also of proper usage of snow blades, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of snow removal operations. Other sensors record whether salt or grit was spread over the roads and how much salt was used. The collected data is stored for up to 7 years and can be accessed by the municipality at any time at the push of a button.
Industry-Specific Telematics Solutions For Fleet Management
This product is offered to customers within the framework of the "Unlock M2M" partnership between Telekom Austria Group M2M and the Upper Austrian telematics provider CEplus. The jointly developed service portfolio encompasses telematics systems and sensors that can be deployed regardless of the type of vehicle. It can be installed without interfering with vehicle's electronics. As a result, these sensors can be quickly and easily installed on both old and new vehicle models. The portfolio also includes a modular, cloud-based software platform that allows customers to freely choose between the wide range of available functionalities via an intuitive and multilingual user interface. Upon request, software adjustments and technical advice are also provided.
The M2M solution offers a wide array of additional functionalities besides the applications described above, which are particularly relevant for fleet management. Based on additional hardware for driver identification and multi-switch systems, this solution can easily switch between business and private mode, allowing companies to comply with the legal provisions regarding drivers' logbooks, while saving on taxes. In addition to snowplows, this service is also available for passenger cars, trucks, construction, agricultural, forestry vehicles and refrigerated freightways. Different devices, sensors and software modules can be flexibly combined to optimally meet customer-specific application requirements on a case-by-case basis.
About Telekom Austria Group und Telekom Austria M2M GmbH
Telekom Austria Group M2M GmbH was set up in 2011 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Telekom Austria Group, the leading convergent telecommunications provider in Central and Eastern Europe with more than 23 million customers.
The Telekom Austria Group is headquartered in Vienna and operates in eight markets with strong local companies and brands: Austria (A1), Slovenia (Si.mobil), Croatia (Vipnet), Republic of Serbia (Vip mobile), Republic of Macedonia (Vip operator), Bulgaria (Mobiltel), Belarus (velcom) and Liechtenstein (mobilkom liechtenstein).
Telekom Austria Group M2M GmbH can therefore build upon a strong regional footprint in the Group's operating markets, a wide international network of strategic partners and on roaming agreements in approximately 200 countries worldwide. The spin-off combines the M2M business units of the eight local mobile operators of the Group, thus consolidating 10 years of proven know-how and hands-on experience in a specialized and dedicated organization.
With a view to serving the rapidly growing and dynamic M2M business field, Telekom Austria Group M2M GmbH not only offers data communications services, it also provides its international customers from a highly diverse range of industries with advice and specialist expertise along the entire value chain - from project design and implementation to the marketing of M2M applications. The newly established company enables completely new business models, which - based on process optimization - allow for a more efficient use of resources and a reduction of costs.
About CEplus GmbH
CEplus is an Austrian vendor specialized to provide GPS-Systems and Solutions for professional usage. The Systems run independent of the vehicle manufacturer and can be used in almost all vehicles, aggregates and machines. It is a basic guideline that the CEplus Systems are not affecting the vehicle electronics. Therefore the customers are protected from a loss of warranty of the vehicle.
www.ceplus.com
