The potential of connected vehicles and advanced technologies

The rapidly changing world today and innovative technology are transforming fleet management.

Connected vehicles, telematics, sophisticated data analysis, and the cloud are all transforming the operation of businesses with fleets. Here are a few of the many changes that are shaking up the industry:

Transformed fleet management and improved ability to meet data challenges

Connected vehicles have emerged as a transformative force in fleet management. By integrating sensors and communication capabilities, fleet operators are witnessing a remarkable shift towards lower operating costs and enhanced maintenance efficiency. In fact, many fleet operators with connected vehicles see a return on investment within the first year due to reduced operating expenses.

This technological advancement is undeniably guiding fleet management toward a more cost-efficient future.

However, the spread of connected vehicle technologies has triggered a data revolution, presenting opportunities and challenges in data management, processing, and analysis. Tracking, managing, cleaning, securing, and enriching this data is essential for gaining meaningful insights. Companies are now exploring new processing capabilities to utilize this data effectively.

Telematics and advanced data analysis

At the center of this change is telematics, a technology that allows you to share vehicle data with a centralized system. This data revolutionizes how fleet managers and owners manage and maintain their vehicles. Telematics technology can significantly reduce fuel costs, enhance preventive maintenance, and encourage safer driving behaviors. This represents a considerable step toward fleet productivity.

Edge computing

Fleet management is moving toward edge computing to address latency and performance challenges. Processing critical data within the vehicle helps reduce latency and enhance system performance. The combination of edge computing and IoT enables data processing to occur closer to the source, leading to faster response times.

5G and cloud computing

With the introduction of 5G technology, data processing will be a game-changer for fleet management. Through AI (Artificial Intelligence) and GPU (Graphics Processing Units) acceleration on cloud platforms like Azure Edge Zone*, vehicle OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are offloading intensive processing tasks from in-vehicle processors to the cloud. This not only reduces variability but also enhances data processing capabilities.

Vehicle-to-Cloud Communication

Critical data processing that used to occur within the system is now conducted at the edge of the vehicle. This addresses data latency and bandwidth issues, enabling quicker responses and improved system performance. With the help of IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, an efficient communication channel between the vehicle’s systems and cloud servers ensures continuous data exchange.

Future perspectives

With the advent of advanced computing, IoT, AI, and cloud technologies, fleet management's possibilities are endless. This means real-time vehicle diagnostics, proactive maintenance, analysis of driver behavior, and more are now within reach.

The future of fleet management is promising and will only get brighter as AI-based analytics continue to evolve. AI will analyze data through connected vehicles and create safer, more efficient automated vehicles. Expect improved diagnostics, enhanced real-time vehicle performance, and improved route planning.

The fleet management landscape is experiencing massive changes as vehicles integrate advanced technologies. The benefits are clear: reduced costs, increased safety, enhanced efficiency, and better productivity. The path to progress is open, with AI-powered analytics and cloud computing opening the door for a future in fleet management that's even brighter.

* A set of technologies that extend its existing hybrid network platforms with a focus on distributed applications that work across infrastructure on-premises, in edge data centers, and Azure.

Source:
Fleet Equipment Mag