Oct/Nov 2008

The term 'credit crunch' means just that: it's harder to get credit for purchases. While it's not clear yet how this has affected the telematics market, the fact is that many systems are often taken on leasing terms.

In a bid to reassure customers that they need not depend on obtaining lease finance, one supplier, TMS2, has launched a pay-as-you-go package that doesn't involve any leasing. It has been branded its No Risk, No Lease, No Catch service.

There's a single up-front cost of £250 for tracking hardware and installation. After that, the customer pays 24 pence per day – a sum that goes directly to TMS2, not to a leasing company.

For this, the user gets what is described as a fully-featured, Web-based tracking solution, including GPRS airtime and support.

The minimum term is 12 months, after which the customer can renew the contract for a further year or terminate the agreement.