DALLAS. Fleet management technology provider Omnitracs on Feb. 1 announced introduction of its next-generation truck telematics device, Intelligent Vehicle Gateway (IVG). The new hardware is designed for future expandability as "a highly powerful, integrated application delivery system," according to Omnitracs.
IVG offers advanced features such as a larger display, better wireless connectivity and hands-free voice commands designed to improve safety, efficiency and productivity. Omnitracs says IVG represents "a breakthrough in mobile fleet management technology."
"IVG is a single, mobile device that takes many of the time-tested features of its predecessor technologies, combined with exciting new features, to offer fleets one advanced, unified platform to enable the fast, safe and efficient delivery of mobile applications and back-office information exchange," stated Jimmy Fortuna, vice president of product management at Omnitracs. "The most robust commercial vehicle telematics platform available, IVG seamlessly links drivers to vehicles assets and the home office and allows them to access Omnitracs and third-party applications all in one place, enhancing the driver experience and improving fleet productivity."
IVG's advanced connectivity and hands-free options support a range of in-cab and out-of-cab mobility applications aimed at improving driver quality of life, productivity and safety. With multichannel Bluetooth and Wi-Fi hot spot capabilities, it allows drivers to use any smart device or other wireless- or Bluetooth-enabled components to remain connected to the home office.
Building on Omnitracs' in-motion user interface and text-to-speech capability, IVG's integrated voice command feature interacts with all Omnitracs apps and is designed to improve safety by allowing the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road and hands on the steering wheel when interacting with the platform.
"Our relentless commitment to innovating solutions that meet the evolving needs of today's commercial fleets make it an optimal time to launch IVG. The enormous advantage of having a single mobile device service delivery platform is that Omnitracs is now able to accelerate the delivery of sophisticated new features and functions," added Chief Technology Officer Dan Speicher. "Our customers will benefit from the significant scale and time-to-market benefits associated with our ability to focus product development and engineering resources on a single device platform."
With a single connection point to the vehicle data bus, Omnitracs notes that installation of IVG is simpler and faster than legacy multi-unit hardware platforms, allowing fleets to streamline system set up and minimize vehicle downtime.
