July/Aug 2004

A vehicle tracking and fleet management system called FleetMaX has been launched by Police5, a specialist in vehicle tagging, number plate recognition and car park solutions. Initially it uses bespoke software for depot interaction and reporting, but an Internet-enabled version called Eye-TraX is due for launch in September.

In either case, the Internet is used for connecting the operator's control centre to the vehicles. The system uses GPS location and GSM/GPRS communications, and data is transferred between the GSM network and the operator's office through a "network portal" via a secure Internet connection.

The initial PC-based control centre software features street-level mapping, recording all data transactions to and from the vehicle fleet in a form that can be turned readily into reports.

The system and is said to allow users to monitor all journey times, locations and distances travelled by drivers, as well as driving behaviour such as harsh breaking and speeding.

The system can also prohibit unauthorised use of a vehicle. The vehicle is immobilised until the system receives correct driver identification and authorisation via a driver ID keyfob or card.