Telstra and its connected vehicles subsidiary MTData will roll out a telematics system for Linfox’s truck fleet, based on the telco’s mobile network.
Telstra said the telematics and management solution will include installing Samsung tablets in Linfox vehicles. The tables will allow drivers to complete safety checklists and access logbooks. In some vehicles the system will allow road safety incidents to be recorded.
“We are in a critical time in the logistics industry and it’s important to deliver technology that will ensure greater safety for our drivers and the communities in which we operate,” Linfox CIO Conrad Harvey said in a statement.
“Heavy vehicle safety is a key issue within our industry and community and by partnering with Telstra to implement transformative technologies that allow us to better monitor and measure safety compliance throughout our fleet, we can work to reduce risk factors and enhance safe driver behaviour.”
Telstra in November announced it had acquired MTData. The telco said the acquisition would “fast track” its enterprise connected vehicle services as part of its Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio.
MTData, which was founded in 2003, has operations in New Zealand, the UK, the United States, Canada and the Middle East as well as Australia.
“Our IoT business continues to be a source of new growth as it is nearing $200 million in revenue, making us one of the most successful IoT businesses globally,” Telstra CEO Andy Penn told a half year results briefing earlier this month.
“A good example of what we’re doing in IoT is our recent acquisition of MTData which provides IoT capabilities and services to the logistic sector.”
Penn said the Linfox deal would provide the logistics company with “leading edge, actionable data for them to manage their transport logistics fleet.”
Of the telco’s near-$200 million in machine-to-machine revenue, around half comes from the logistics and transport sector. Telstra CFO Warwick Bray said the company was also seeing IoT growth in the retail sector, as well as payments and security.