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Business
With safety at a premium, rising fuel costs, and an aversion to litigation, the transportation industry is searching for ways to minimize risk and maximize fleet efficiency. Since 2001, Seattle-based Zonar Systems has been revolutionizing the transportation industry with their Electronic Fleet Management™ solution which uses inspection and GPS data to track and analyze passenger bus and truck activity nationwide. The company's hallmark product, Ground Traffic Control™, is a web-based data management application that provides a real-time picture of fleet and workforce activities such as routes, vehicle speed, fuel savings, repair status, inspection compliance, labor savings, and safety issues.
Mike McQuade, Zonar Systems' Chief Technology Officer, explains that at any given time, Zonar's software captures the activity of thousands of trucks and buses throughout the United States in 4 dimensions—latitude, longitude, time, and odometer. This information is then stored on secure servers which allow customers to access the data when they need it. Zonar's Electronic Fleet Management™ solution is used by diverse customer segments in the transportation industry including commercial and private trucking, pupil transportation, public transportation, municipal fleets, aggregate haulers, waste operators, utility companies, and construction.
Challenge
Prior to adopting Zonar's Ground Traffic Control™ with Google Maps for Enterprise, transportation officials relied on a variety of third-party mapping solutions to supply trip and safety data—with unsatisfactory results. Generating a report with information such as how long a vehicle was idle, the route it took, and its fuel-efficiency was often slow, as vendor's usually update their mapping servers only every year or two. In many cases, customers were forced to pay costly premiums for access to special features such as satellite imagery. Truck drivers wasted valuable time sitting in traffic, unable to map an alternate route. If a mechanical failure occurred, dispatchers became tied up locating the closest available vehicle to cover the route, pick up the passengers, or transfer the cargo.
Solution
By integrating Google Maps for Enterprise into its patented solution, Zonar Systems offers real-time tracking information that provides the data needed to efficiently manage fleets. A combination of GPS and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology gives users instant vehicle location information, alerting them to breakdowns and traffic tie-ups. The application's powerful reporting capabilities enable transportation operators to rapidly analyze the profitability and fuel-efficiency of routes. "The beauty of Google Maps for Enterprise is that data is not static or stagnant," says McQuade. "Our customers appreciate the quick and innovative presentation of data with Google Maps for Enterprise. In fact, many people describe our real-time reporting as 'Google-esque.'"
Results
With Google Maps for Enterprise-powered mapping, Zonar's Electronic Fleet Management™ solution delivers the most comprehensive fleet Telematics tool of its kind. Google Maps for Enterprise complements Zonar's Ground Traffic Control application with powerful mapping and tracking features to facilitate cost-effective decision-making for transportation officials. By giving users a dynamic solution to analyze data and accurately track activities, truck and bus operators can more effectively meet industry-compliance standards and increase public safety.
Furthermore, transportation customers have current, user-friendly aerial and satellite views to provide total visibility into fleets traveling the nation's highways. "Google Maps for Enterprise enables us to deliver the most accurate data to our customers," adds McQuade.
About Zonar Systems
Zonar Systems' Electronic Fleet Management™ solution makes managing fleet operations effortless. Customers have the ability to not only verify inspections, pinpoint speeds at any given time, and locate a vehicle in case of break down, but to understand asset utilization, fuel savings, and repair status – all while replacing pen and paper with electronic methods which track fleet and workforce activity more frequently. This real-time picture enables better communication between personnel, increased safety, and better reliability for passengers and operators. For more information, visit www.zonarsystems.com.
About Google Maps for Enterprise
With Google Maps for Enterprise, businesses can integrate data and seamlessly build maps into applications of all types to create a high performance mapping experience. Map customer locations, track shipments, manage facilities—virtually any application with location data can benefit from a geographic view. Google Maps for Enterprise offers the speed and ease of use of Google Maps, with full enterprise licensing and support. For more information, visit http://www.google.com/enterprise/maps.
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