OBDII GPS tracking - keeping the installs fast and simple

If your fleet of vehicles consists of light duty commercial vehicles, or passenger vehicles - then you might want to consider an OBDII GPS tracking device.  They are simple to install, which for large fleets of vehicles can make deployment quick and simple - and because of the integrated antennas, they're relatively tamper resistant. 

Some items to consider:

• Employ a device with an internal battery.  This makes the device difficult to disable, and it can continue to track for several hours, or possibly days as long as the device is still in the vehicle.  You can even track yourself on foot for short periods of time by pocketing the device.
• Utilize an extension cable if the installation of the device makes it prone to the driver hitting it, or causes it to stand out in any way.
• Be sure that the tracking interface includes the availability of a WebApp, so that the vehicle can be tracked using any smartphone.
• The devices are easy to install; however that means they can easily be removed as well.  If you want the ability to track the vehicle more covertly, or with some dedicated IO capabilities, then a more traditional 'black box' device may be in order.
• Easy to install and uninstall also means that it's easy to move between vehicles if needed - which may include the need to track the employee's vehicle (which they may be using on behalf of their employer) or a rental car or van, or for fleets of leased vehicles where black-box installation isn't practical.
• The location of the integrated GPS antenna isn't optimal.  Many locations for the device are under the steering column, and this can be adequate for 'reasonable' tracking needs in many cases - but if the vehicle is being driven in areas where the view of the sky is consistently compromised, consider a 'black box' device with an external antenna.

OBDII interfaces in the USA do not typically include features such as remote starting, remote alarming, window control, lock control, vehicle disabling or speed throttling, etc.  Interfaces of this sort are prohibited by most vehicle manufacturers, and if employed can potentially void the vehicle's warranty.

However, the device, if properly installed and operational (and within an adequate wireless coverage area), can provide real-time vehicle location and recovery services, as well as driver safety and behavior assessment; and future upgrades to more advanced technology will be easy to implement or swap out - or to move between vehicles as needed.

GPS Fleet tracking in the age of the Sequester

Fleet tracking systems can be a boon for companies or government entities that are trying to save money for their organization.  These types of systems provide the efficiency as well as the oversight that can allow an organization to tighten their fleet related spending - which can be used to lower their overall budget, or to help to prevent severe cost reductions in other critical areas of the organization.

One major issue is how to come up with funding to invest in a cost savings system like vehicle tracking when income is actively being reduced.  Here are some ideas:

• Incremental system roll-out.  Purchasing the entire system at once will help to lower costs quickly, but if you can't do that with your current budget, install units on an incremental basis - using savings from the prior installs to help fund further installs until you have the system in place on your entire fleet.
• Leasing.  Leasing a vehicle tracking system can usually defray some of the major up-front costs for a few months - enough to get the savings needed and the return on investment moving forward so that overall cash-flow is only impacted for a short period of time - a couple of months as opposed to years of protracted budgetary shortfalls.
• Use a hosted solution.  While enterprise systems can be more cost effective over the long run for large fleets, the initial outlay may not be feasible in times when budgets are being tightened.   Even for fairly large systems, the savings of a hosted vehicle tracking system can help to pay for itself, and to create head-room on cash-flow within a few months.  Once the savings of a hosted system is in place an enterprise system can be easier to justify, putting in place the self-hosted system that will create even higher long-term savings.
• Pilot systems.  Keep in mind that fallow times provide good timing for system pilots, demos, analyzing actual return on investment (ROI), defining specific requirements, etc.  Even if you can't afford a system right now, these efforts can help make for a stronger financial case later when competition for funding isn't as high.

The return on investment of a fleet tracking system for an organization varies based on the fleet size, the type of fleet vehicle, the average monthly mileage of the vehicle, and other factors such as if employees have access to the vehicles after hours, gas prices, etc.  Even so, the return on investment can generally approach $60USD a month per vehicle - after the costs for the equipment and services have been deducted.  For a fleet of 500 vehicles, this can create an additional monthly cost savings of $30,000USD, or a yearly savings of $360,000USD.  In some cases, the additional productivity that a vehicle tracking system provides can actually provide a significant boost to income not including the monthly cost savings; depending on the organization's business model.

O3b Networks launches the first of its High Speed Internet Satellites

Named for the "Other 3 billion"; O3b which was was founded in 2007, has successfully launched the first 4 satellites comprising their high-speed satellite Internet access system.  They also have plans to launch 4 more satellites by the end of 2013.  The 8 satellites will orbit at about 8,000km in a medium Earth orbit satellite constellation.

The company, which has raised over $1B USD so far, includes a variety of partners such as Liberty Global, Allen and Company, Google, HSBC, and SES World Skies - and plans to provide high-speed low-latency communication services for areas of the globe that lack suitable 3G services; and can act as a back-haul for these areas as an alternative to typical fiber-optic back-hauls.

The company is offering corporate networking at rates of 100, 150, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000Mbs, and has already signed contracts to provide Internet services in portions of Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.  They have also signed a deal with Royal Caribbean to provide high-speed Internet for it's cruise ships.

The launch was made with the Soyuz-STB/Fregat-MT rocket, with the next launch scheduled for September 2013.

Smartphone GPS tracking considerations

Smartphone market share is driving forward, replacing standard flip phones at an increasing rate.  

Touted as the 'supercomputer' in our pockets - with GPS, and wireless Internet integrated into a single package, they would seem to be the tracking solution of choice.  

The Waze craze, and their subsequent high profile purchase by Google only seems to reinforce that perception.  However, there are still some issues with using smartphones as a tracking devices.  Here are a few items to consider:

• Smartphone applications for tracking can be turned off by the user, or the phones can be turned off to defeat tracking.  No matter how ingenious the application, it can't provide any location information if it is turned off.  This applies to cell phone triangulation, or cell tower tracking by the wireless carriers if the phone is turned off.
• Battery life is still a limitation.  With all of the various applications running on a phone, plus the battery drain of an active GPS and wireless interface (either WiFi or cellular), the battery drain on a portable phone can be extensive.  Charging the device while driving in the vehicle can help to extend the battery life, but the user may feel that they need to intervene from time to time to turn the application off in order to preserve the battery life - eliminating location data that may be critical to the fleet manager or monitoring entity.
• Relevant vehicle IO may not be accessible from your phone.  Access to the vehicle's IO such as the ignition interface, or digital engine interface or for commercial vehicles IO like the VIN, mileage and PTO status, are not readily available to the phone.  This is generally the case - though this may change in the near future.
• The GPS signal strength (and thus accuracy) may not be as good for some phones.  Mobile phones lack the strong grounding and shielding system that vehicles have, and GPS signal strength can suffer from the close proximity to the microprocessors and other wireless devices built into the phone - especially with regard to their close proximity to the GPS antenna.  GPS satellite signals are already 'buried' below the noise floor, so anything that increases the noise floor can impair it's operation; especially in areas with a limited view of the sky.

Using your smartphone for tracking yourself as you are walking, or biking, or in other outdoor sports such as skiing can still be advantageous - if well managed; but for vehicle tracking - embedded and dedicated devices continue to be a superior solution.  

Pricing for professional dedicated vehicle tracking devices is in the $100-$125 USD range, and tracking plans combined with low-end wireless plans can be in the range of $16.99-$19.99 USD a month - significantly lower cost than a smartphone wireless plan.  

Higher end dedicated tracking systems can also include additional IO features like the engine interface which can provide information about hours of service, as well as odometer readings that can help to suggest maintenance alerts for the vehicle.

Fleet Managers - the human brain as a Big Data Engine

In a recent post by the GoodData blog, they discuss how Warren Buffet has consistently been able to outperform the stock market by roughly 13% over a 35 year period;  the implication being that Mr. Buffet's methodology allows him to act like a human version of a Big Data engine.

The article indicates that with the proper training/education, focus, analytics, and accurate information, that the human brain, can rival similar Big Data systems; much as Warren Buffet has.  While increases in computer processing power continue to follow Moore's law, all but a few of the most powerful computer systems lag well behind the human brain's capacity.

Some of their suggestions for emulating Mr. Buffet's success include:

• Knowing or understanding what you're looking for.
• Understanding how the object of your research works.
• Using solid benchmarks.

Underlying these suggestions is the ability to filter through emotion and the urge to apply 'guesswork' to the analysis instead of real research.

This is true for fleet managers as well.  When provided with visually formatted maps, and reports, they can spot trends and deficits with amazing accuracy.  It's up to the vehicle tracking systems to provide the fleet manager with accurate information and statistics to create solid benchmarks - and to flag events that help to identify trends or problems.

So while vehicle tracking systems are an invaluable tool for collating information - don't forget that it takes a trained and insightful human mind to properly interpret the information in a meaningful manner - and to help apply well thought out solutions to problems as they arise.

Vehicle tracking systems - Hosted Services vs. Enterprise

If you have a moderate or large fleet of vehicles that you are looking to track, or if you have special security needs for your fleet location data; then you may want to consider an enterprise system over a hosted tracking system (also referred to as a SaaS or a Cloud Computing system).

Early vehicle tracking systems were all developed as enterprise systems. These systems were usually very expensive and tailored to the organization that was implementing them as a custom designed system. As the integration of wireless internet and GPS came together, fairly large systems could be setup to run over the Internet so that smaller clients could take advantage of the technology.  This lead to a 'boom' in hosted tracking systems during the dot-com bubble period around 2000.

Hosted systems are well suited for clients in the range of 1-500 units, but as the size of the fleet approaches 1,000 units, economies of scale start to favor an in-house or enterprise GPS tracking system.  Fleet sizes above 3,000 units with an in-house IT department and NOC facilities should strongly consider an enterprise tracking system as the costs and control of a hosted system can quickly exceed those of an enterprise system.

Hosted system services are generally paid for monthly, bi-yearly, or yearly; or over multiple years if a contract for the services is entered into.  Enterprise systems are usually paid for once for the life of the software or system.  For public safety entities, the life of the service may be 10-15 years.  This initial payment may also include system customization for the customer.  Enterprise systems generally do not include ongoing updates to the software unless specific changes are outlined at the time of purchase, or if an additional yearly software maintenance agreement is included.  Hosted systems generally include ongoing software and service updates; though the system provider is generally in control of the release dates for any updates.

System redundancy and future expansion is a consideration in the initial deployment of an enterprise system.  Consideration should be given to how the system will continue to operate under 24x7 conditions when the system needs to be upgraded - so multi-server systems with automated or manual fail-over should also be a consideration in the overall system design.  Also, there should be a design path forward if the number of vehicles to be supported may exceed 10% of the original design.  These considerations are less of an issue for most hosted systems, as the services provider handles these IT maintenance, and design aspects of the system for the client. 

Enterprise systems usually are limited to 'run-time' system software (compiled 'object code') hosted on the clients system, and are designed specifically for the number of devices and users the system needs to host; and setup so that the client's IT staff can maintain the system adequately.  In some cases, enterprise systems can include access to source code for the system - but this is rare as the cost of the source code licence can double or triple the cost of a typical run-time enterprise system; however in critical system operations that have their own development or software engineering team(s), it can be a contract requirement - usually granted under the auspices of a non-competing entity in a specific geographical marketplace.

Another reason enterprise systems are sought out can be for the need to secure the software tracking system on the clients network, or to be hosted as an Intranet application for the client.  Economies of scale may not be the overriding consideration for these types of systems, and systems can be implemented for customers that have fewer than 500 vehicles to track.

When considering an enterprise system, also be sure to ask how many IT staff members will be required to manage the system;  the smaller the staff requirements, the more automated and stable the system is likely to be.

Lastly, ask about what kinds of intellectual property protection the system provider can afford the client, as well as how far back the 'prior art' of the system goes.  The longer the technology has been in place, the older the prior art, and the stronger the protection for the IP in the marketplace. 

Big-Data analysis is here to stay - So when is tracking Good, and when is it Bad?

Recently there has been a lot of concern over cell phone and other data being provided by wireless carriers and social networks to the NSA and the far reaching implications of providing that data with regard to personal privacy as weighed against public safety.  There has been much less concern over wireless carriers selling subscriber data as a way to 'monetize' the inherent information in their call data - or the carriers' own use of the information for internal sales and marketing purposes.

So when is tracking (by GPS or by wireless tower) Good and when is it Bad?  Tracking your vehicles or assets is fairly easy to put into the 'Good' category.  Knowing where your property or mobile assets are can be a good thing when it's missing, or not being utilized properly, or in the event of an emergency.  However, it can be a bit confusing with the property has more than one owner.  Setting up policies that keep the information transparent but private to the owners, is imperative; sharing the information with others outside the 'family' or organization should only be done on a 'need to know' basis, and with limitations in scope.

Many of the early adopters of GPS location systems were the Public Safety sector; Fire, Ambulance, Police, and State patrols.  There was some initial concerns regarding the 'big brother' nature of such devices; but it was quickly dispelled when managers openly discussed the need to know driver's locations in near real-time in the event of an emergency; and emergency management is such a big part of what they do, they understood the need to know privilege right away.  There was still a social culture of concern regarding the technology, but now, GPS tracking is considered a standard management tool in the public safety industry.  However, like most legitimate tools it can be dangerous in the wrong hands or when used in the wrong way - public and private agencies don't typically share their location information outside of their respective organizations, even with other related agencies since it's difficult to make sure where access to the tracking information goes once it's outside their immediate control.

In some recent articles regarding cell-phone Big-Data analysis, there has been some interesting information about how the data can be applied for the greater public good: tracking the spread of malaria in Africa, Bus routes redrawn for more efficient services in urban cities.  There are some  examples of interesting but more benign analysis using cell phone to help determine how many fans of one team or another occupy a particular stadium, or for marketing analysis regarding how many locals may be passing by a store without ever visiting.  However, this type of data has been made anonymous, while limiting it's scope so that personal (or corporate) privacy is relatively well protected.

So what make 'Good' location data practices?  Here are some general rules:

• Specific data, such as GPS data should be only provided to the owners of the assets being tracked, even when made anonymous.  Even over short time periods or limited geography the data can show specific travel habits well enough to pin-point individuals.  Phone tower information is somewhat generalized already since it covers a fairly large geographical area without specific location information, and as long as it is limited in geography, and time, and made anonymous, it can be used for more general statistical analysis.  However, correlated with additional data, such as purchases, this data can identify specific individual activity as well.
• Any specific data (such as GPS data) shared outside of the agency, organization, or personal owner should be on a need to know basis, and should only be available for limited periods of duration.  This information should be anonymously presented (stripped of linkage to individuals, companies, assets, and their cargo), and geographically and time constrained.  The longer the time range of the location data, the better chance there is of unintentionally divulging personal or private information.
• Make sure that the online data is reasonably well secure, and unneeded data is deleted or securely archived (offline) as soon as it is no longer relevant.
• Be sure that within reason, that data cannot be tampered with, or if it's to be used for legal purposes, that critical data such as speed and location data can be corroborated by a second source.  Individual pieces of data have enough margin of error in them to create intrinsic 'reasonable doubt'.

Beware of any 'Bad' location data practices:

• Tracking people without their knowledge even if the asset you are tracking belongs to you.  Though not illegal, this is a bad practice that only reinforces the 'big brother' attitude of legitimate tracking.  Be upfront about what you are doing and why with the user, driver or operator.

And finally, illegal practices:

• Tracking or attempting to locate assets that do not legally belong to you without the owners permission for the purposes of 'spying' or 'stalking' the asset, the person, or company making use of the asset.
• Tracking assets or people without proper licensing, or making use of the technical intellectual property without specific permission or licensing.
• Making private data (location or otherwise) publicly available without permission, or for the purposes of altering an individuals account or location information (hacking).
• Use of mobile jamming devices to interfere with the GPS/GNSS and/or wireless communication system - which can interfere with not only the local system, but with other mobile systems around the vehicle.
• Though extremely rare outside of military use for the purposes of espionage, GPS spoofing is also illegal. 

Location tracking can be used for business or personal reasons for a number of legitimate reasons; to help with efficiency, for logistical cost and process efficiency, to limit liability as well as for personal and product safety.  Setting up internal tracking policies and processes can help to setup and keep secure clear limits on your internal tracking data.

Obviously some data security is out of the hands of private citizens and corporations - data that wireless carriers and governments access without our knowledge, or with a warrant.   If you have concerns contact your wireless provider or regional State/Federal agencies to see what you can do to opt out of any data tracking (also called CPNI sharing) they may be performing internally - as well as to verify when existing data is being deleted or archived, and any notifications regarding whom the data has been provided to.