“Together with Qualcomm, we make fleet management a realistic option for all transport companies”
Geert Biesemans, Iveco Sales Director
In October 2009, Iveco’s Blue&Me Fleet received the ‘Transportation Innovation of the Year’ distinction. “While we are genuinely honoured,” says Sales Director Geert Biesemans of Iveco Belgium, “I feel an equally important aspect is that all transport companies now have access to a modern fleet management solution, namely Blue&Me Fleet. We achieved this breakthrough together with Qualcomm.”
Blue&Me Fleet is a state-of-the-art telematics solution to manage both vehicle dispatching and driver coaching. The use of cellular networks enables transport companies to achieve reductions in operating costs, while improving their operating results. Blue&Me Fleet is the result of the collaborative partnership between Iveco and Qualcomm. Information on Blue&Me Fleet is available via Qualcomm’s FleetVisor web portal.
An innovative partner
Iveco is a global player in various sectors, including the medium and heavy commercial vehicle industry. Its extensive range of products also includes light commercial vehicles. Biesemans: “We already had a computer platform, but – as a vehicle manufacturer – we didn’t really have a presence in that market, even though little had to be done to expand on it. The successful Blue&Me solution, which is popular among both transport companies and consumers, served as the foundation. Using Bluetooth technology connected via a USB port, the system has access many different services – from navigation functions to music and even speech recognition. Our aim was to develop a communication device accessible for the entire transport market,” explains Biesemans. “This means everyone who has commercial vehicles on the roads, including smaller building firms and installers. To achieve this, we looked for a partner with a solid market position and an excellent reputation rooted in its expertise, experience and – most importantly – innovative capacity. In the end, Qualcomm emerged from the pack.”
Democratisation of technology
Iveco and Qualcomm proved to be on the same page. Both firms aimed to extend the reach of state-of-the-art communication systems for the logistics sector. Biesemans: “This is what I refer to as the democratisation of communication technology for the transport sector. New systems must not remain the exclusive domain of major transport companies and their heavy commercial vehicles. Every company which operates vehicles should have a certain degree of fleet management at its disposal. To measure is to know – that’s what it’s all about. Every business must work actively to achieve efficiency improvements and good results, including small transport firms, retail companies, bus companies and even a maintenance firm with only a few vehicles on the road. In that regard, Qualcomm and Iveco share similar commercial principles.”
According to Biesemans, however, there are many more reasons why Iveco and Qualcomm are ideal partners. “Starting next year, the compulsory obligation for transport companies to be able to download the mass memory of tachographs takes effect. With regard to this obligation, Qualcomm is a known pioneer and has already achieved related successes. Blue&Me Fleet includes this remote download function. This alone is sufficient reason for transport firms to use this product developed jointly by Iveco and Qualcomm.”
To mark the introduction of Blue&Me Fleet Iveco recently installed the system on all vehicles in its demonstration fleet. “This, however, does not mark the end of the collaborative partnership with Qualcomm,” says Biesemans. “Blue&Me Fleet is comparable to an attractive ready to wear suit, which – in consultation with users – can serve as the basis for customisation. Qualcomm and Iveco will take care of the marketing together, taking the same intensive and result-oriented approach with which this new product was developed. Blue&Me Fleet offers tremendous added value, as does Qualcomm’s contribution.”