Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Telematics Speed Zone Ahead

From: NEXTEL-1
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2004 16:09:25 -0400

Telematics Speed Zone Ahead

Company hopes to cash in by slowing speeders via GPS monitoring.
BY MARK ROCKWELL
JUNE 15, 2004
WIRELESS WEEK
© 2004, REED BUSINESS INFORMATION, A DIVISION OF REED ELSEVIER INC. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.

Harried soccer moms and preoccupied teenagers take note: Your car could
begin "yelling" at you for speeding in a school zone.
A speed alert system, based on GPS capabilities, now automatically
alerts drivers when they enter a "speed zone" that requires them to slow
down in their automobiles. Toronto-based Beacon Wireless Solutions has
patented the Vehicle Speed Monitoring System and Method in the United
States. The technology lets drivers monitor their speed based on their
exact location and posted speed limits in the area through GPS,
according to Beacon Wireless President David Lash.

Of course, drivers have always had a speed monitoring device in their
cars. It's called the speedometer and it's been standard equipment on
just about every fossil fuel-powered vehicle for a long time. It's
become so standard, according to Lash, that most people simply ignore
it, intentionally or unintentionally. That's where the company's vehicle
speed monitoring system comes in, he says.

The GPS mapping used for the system also notes the local speed limits on
roads, including school zones, speed zones and anywhere the speed limit
changes from high to low, he says. That mapping information, coupled
with the GPS locator, can be used to set off an audible in-vehicle
alarm. In other words, bells go off when you enter a school zone at too
high a rate of speed, according to Lash.

"Services like OnStar provide on-board GPS location, but we've focused
on integrating the GPS signal with posted speed limits to let the driver
or truck company know exactly where their vehicle is," Lash says.
Lash hopes to partner with companies such as OnStar to augment their
telematics services. The vehicle speed monitoring system is moving to
the prototype and testing stage, he says, with a product release slated
for early next year.
The company could have a hard time selling the service on the consumer
side, however. Some analysts say the consumer vehicle telematics market
in North America hasn't developed as quickly as some had predicted.
Automakers, not actual car-buying customers, are the primary generators
of demand for telematics, according to a study by Frost and Sullivan.
Additionally, telematics services usually have a less-expensive, but
equally effective alternative, according to Joerg Dittmer, analyst at
Frost and Sullivan.

"Drivers can choose from many competing technologies and services,
usually at much lower cost. These include paper maps, cell phones with
location technology, autonomous navigation systems, dedicated vehicle
tracking systems and even concierge services from a third-party provider
such as Infone," he says.
The consumer applications are interesting, but Lash contends industrial
vehicle fleet applications are probably the sweet spot for Beacon
Wireless. Large corporations and service-driven companies, such as
maintenance and delivery companies, are always looking to improve
operational efficiency. Providing vehicle speed allows a company room
for a new vista of efficiencies, according to Lash.

Large service companies can monitor not only where their delivery or
service trucks are using GPS, but can also provide a more accurate
estimated time of arrival for the vehicle's destination, Lash says. That
could ease customer concerns, or let them know to begin to prepare for
their delivery or the technician's arrival. Technicians also would be
able to message managers at headquarters through the system.

Although the consumer takeup could be slow given other alternatives,
fleets may adopt the technology early on so managers can better monitor
their drivers' habits, set speed parameters for drivers and receive
alerts when those limits are exceeded.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA426370?spacedesc=Departments&stt=000

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