Communications and digital transformation provider MetTel and the city of Phoenix have entered into an agreement for MetTel to provide public services with fleet management automation technology. The contract calls for MetTel to provide automated vehicle location and other services to support operational decision making. MetTel will be responsible for collecting and maintaining data required for the continuity of operations for thousands of city vehicles. In addition to advanced location-based services, according to a release from MetTel, services will also include dispatch automation and monitoring, vehicle diagnostics, and driver safety data. The project will initially focus on telematics hardware and software solutions for tracking vehicles and obtaining essential data for maintenance, routing, and customer inquiries for the Phoenix Public Works and Water departments. According to its release, MetTel has revived interest in telematics technology, which enables organizations to send, receive, retrieve, and store information about vehicles, telecommunication devices, and employees, both local and remote. The company claims that with its mobile connectivity capabilities—with access to carriers in over 170 countries—and intelligent communications management platform, the telematics process is being digitally transformed to take advantage of an IoT connected world. MetTel adds that its fleet management solutions can be up and running for organizations in mere days with no significant capital expense or added training. You might also be interested in: Another major transformation focus for the city, says the release, is to enable more efficient, cost-effective, and safe delivery of all-important water resources to residents and facilities. MetTel's IoT fleet management technology connects the water department vehicles. By connecting and gaining visibility into the mobile workforce information, the city is able to combine real-time information with current business intelligence systems to derive insights on their operations. Insights like fuel usage, proof of service or delivery, and driver safety management are key areas of focus. Gains in efficiency and proactive management results provide invaluable intelligence to water management when optimizing the fleet and workforce, ensuring maximum utilization for citizen services. Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the U.S. with more than 1.6 million citizens spread over 540 square miles. It produces an average of 270 million gallons of tap water daily and treats more than 135 million gallons of wastewater daily. The city collects garbage, recycling, and yard waste from over 400,000 residential accounts. The city's goal is to divert 40 percent of its waste stream by 2020 leading ultimately to zero waste by 2050. Mark Miller is a contributing writer to SAE International. He has worked as a technology writer and editor for IBM and other advanced information technology firms. His areas of concentration include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, analytics and Internet of Things technologies.
Network solutions provider MetTel has joined forces with the US city of Phoenix to use telematic fleet automation technology to run city vehicles. Location-based services will cover dispatch, fuel usage, vehicle diagnostics and information about driver safety, initially for the city’s public works and water departments. MetTel’s technology will be used to gather real-time maintenance, routing and customer inquiry data to make the best use of the employees and the fleet. The technology is also expected to offer safer and more efficient water delivery across the city.