May/June 2005

The Sirius-FMS telematics-based fleet management system from Astrata, which was launched in the UK this spring (m.logistics, last issue), is to be further developed and supplied under an exclusive arrangement with Romec, the facilities management giant owned jointly by Royal Mail and Balfour Beatty.

Romec reckons the UK business-to-business market for this kind of product is vast. According to Tony Cahill, the company's director of electronic security: "The market has a conservatively estimated potential of 400,000 units over the next 18 months." This, if true, could offer massive rewards to successful players.

Romec and Astrata say they are to combine their respective capabilities "to develop and propose solutions" targeting various key industries. As examples they cite mail delivery, property development, transport, electronic security and the defence sector.

Sirius-FMS is said to be particularly appropriate for managing large fleets in a high-security control-centre environment, so the two companies are likely to be making such organisations their prime targets.