Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co.’s Ford Commercial Solutions Thursday announced two products designed to allow fleets easy access to vehicle data. Its first product transmits information from vehicles directly to the cloud, while its second product collects information and distills it to provide police fleets with insights that can help improve fleet efficiency and driver behavior.
“Business owners and operators want to serve their customers, not spend excessive time managing their fleets,” says Lee Jelenic, CEO of Ford Commercial Solutions. “Our goal is to unlock the data from their vehicles to provide them with more effective ways to manage their fleets and improve operations.
“Our new products are tailored to serve fleets of all types, whether they’re run by law enforcement, composed predominantly of Ford vehicles, or are large multi-make fleets that want more insight from their Ford vehicles.”
The Data Services product focuses on serving large company fleets, telematics service providers, and fleet management companies. It uses Ford vehicles’ built-in modem to transfer vehicle data directly to the cloud without the need for third-party hardware, management, or installation time. Vehicle data is relayed to a fleet’s internal IT system or telematics service provider through an application program interface.
Fleets can use the system to gain access to Ford vehicle information including GPS location, mileage, fuel use, vehicle health alerts, driver behavior, and more. Because Ford designed the vehicle, it can provide the newest updates and vehicle signals as they become available.
Ford Commercial Solutions allow fleets to choose their telematics service provider or fleet management company. Ford has continued its relationship with Verizon Connect and has secured service agreements with Geotab and Spireon.
“Fleets told us they want to be able to choose how to best manage their fleets,” says Jelenic. “Our agreements with different service providers, coupled with the new products we are introducing, allow us to offer this.”
Ford Commercial Solutions’ second product is a new fleet information tool designed to support law enforcement fleets. The tool uses information collected through the Data Services product and distills it to provide police fleets with insights that can help improve efficiency and driver behavior. The application offers insights on fuel usage, carbon dioxide emissions, vehicle health, and driver seatbelt usage. Data is shared through a website.
Fleets with Ford vehicles that do not have modems will be able to use the two products later this year when a Ford-engineered plug-in device will enable fleets to connect Ford vehicles dating back to the 2012 model year.
