Remote, cross-border connectivity for vehicle tracking.
Introduction
The world’s supply system relies on trucks. Road transport carries more than 80% of inland freight volume.
With large numbers of trucks crisscrossing the globe every day it is vital for fleet managers to be continually aware of the location and state of their vehicles. They need to know the location of each vehicle in their fleet, if the goods they’re carrying are secure, and if their employees are driving safely and responsibly.
Vehicle tracking and logistics is a challenging task. When you add in remote locations, high-value cargo and cross-border transportation then it becomes even more complex.
Alemetic Systems operates in remote areas of Central and Eastern Africa. Their clients traverse areas of poor signal coverage where many providers would struggle to stay connected. They also cross borders, requiring an international connectivity solution. Many of Alemetic Systems customers are carrying high-value cargo and it’s essential that it is tracked at all times.
The Application
Based in Kenya, Alemetic Systems provides reliable, scalable and affordable vehicle tracking solutions to clients in corporate, government and individual roles.
Their advanced vehicle tracking and fleet management solution utilizes the power of GSM/GPS/GPRS technology to enable fleet owners to monitor, control, manage and secure their investments in real-time.
The tracking device is installed in the vehicle by a qualified engineer and can be installed in a hidden place if desired. The GPS & GSM antennas are discretely positioned inside the vehicle compartments.
The tracking unit collects all the data about the vehicle’s location and speed, as well as the status of vehicle movements. The vehicle information is sent to the server via GSM/GPRS.
Alemetic Systems use their extensive infrastructure and software interface to translate the information into a user-friendly format. Customers are able to log on to a secure web interface and check the location of the vehicle and its status in real-time.
The Problem
Alemetic Systems’ clients move their high-value cargo from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ports in Walvis Bay, Durban, Beira, and Dar es Salaam. Their trucks travel through Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Kenya.
As their clients’ vehicles cross so many different countries, Alemetic Systems needed a global roaming M2M SIM which could handle the possibility of passing through remote areas with poor connectivity.
To achieve their vision of becoming the leading tracking company in the Eastern and Central African region, Alemetic Systems need reliable, robust connectivity.
Their customers need to be sure the devices will stay connected even as their vehicles traverse remote regions or areas with poor coverage. Pod Group’s multi-network SIMs allow their customers to choose a personalized combination of over 600 networks in 185 countries, ensuring that devices stay connected.
‘Handling stable fleet connectivity in these countries is not possible without a global SIM, because the local SIM suppliers cannot offer competitive coverage for all the countries due to their roaming and taxes that vary,’ commented Luke Kerich, Technical Director at Alemetic Systems.
The Solution
Pod Group’s multi-network IoT SIM cards connect to the best signal available on start-up. If the SIM loses signal, it automatically connects to the next available network. This helps eliminate coverage issues for a truly resilient international roaming SIM.
Pod Group has agreements with over 600 networks in 185 countries. By giving Alemetic Systems access to multiple networks, they are able to provide dependable, scalable, cross-border IoT solutions.
As Luke Kerich, said:
‘We use Pod SIM cards because our clients operate in the most remote areas and where network stability of one provider is not guaranteed. Our clients operate in copper and gold mines and traverse the jungle. To have visibility of the trucks carrying this high-value cargo requires an IoT SIM that can handle erratic network connections.’
‘We needed global SIMs so we chose to work with Pod Group. Compared to all the other IoT M2M providers their technology and the power to manage our own SIMs is excellent,’ says Luke Kerich.
Alemetic Systems know they can rely on 24/7 expert IoT support from Pod Group.
‘The support service at Pod Group is exemplary.’
As part of the telematics industry, Alemetic Systems has specific needs and pricing concerns. In the world of IoT, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. That’s why Pod offers customizable packages tailored to individual businesses.
Pod Group has 20 years’ experience of providing connectivity services to the transport industry and a deep understanding of the specific needs of this sector.
