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Econet Wireless has announced that it has upgraded its Econet Connected car platform to meet the increasing demand for the recently launched fleet management system.

In a statement, Econet said the upgraded platform is a response to improve service functionality including giving customers user friendly interface to view and monitor their fleet in real time and to customise any reports dependent on their particular requirements.

Connected Car is a new innovation launched by Econet in October 2014 which allows customers to track their vehicles.

This makes it possible to track the movement of goods and passenger vehicles, monitor driver behaviour, while receiving safety alerts and customised fleet management reports among other services.

Several corporates and organisations, including sectors of central and local Government, have

welcomed the introduction of Econet Connected car smart fleet management service as it helps companies significantly reduce their costs.

Commenting on the upgrade, Dorothy Zimuto, chief operating officer for Econet Connected Car in Zimbabwe, said demand for the product has been strong since launch.

Econet extends its free installation offer for connected car till end of June, after which installation will cost $50. A monthly subscription fee of $20 is charged.

Ms Zimuto said the new technology leads to substantive savings to companies’ monthly vehicle maintenance and staff costs, fuel costs and accidents occurrences, and an increase in companies’ productivity, a development which insurers, Government and companies alike welcome.

The connected car concept is now a global phenomenon used by organisations to monitor, control, and better optimise their fleet management.

Any organisation with more than two vehicles will benefit from putting a tracking device.

Some of the immediate benefits include better fuel management, ensuring vehicles stay on prescribed routes or better staff management through notifications when a vehicle enters or exits specified virtual boundaries popularly referred to as Geo fences.

Fleet managers have particularly shown great interest in technology that gives them an ability to “see that the driver is delivering goods to the right place, is driving in accordance to rules expected, not speeding, and not abusing company vehicles by harsh breaking or harsh acceleration”.

The insurance sector has also responded positively to the advent of breakthrough technological innovations that improves

their risk assessment of insured vehicles.

With this technology, insurance premiums on vehicles can now be customised to suit an individual’s driving behaviour, mileage, and locations.

This is expected to usher in a fair assessment and application of insurance premiums. A connected car produces information that was hitherto not easily accessible which help them reconsider their premiums to companies.

A connected car produces detailed accident reports, distance travelled, places travelled, mileage travelled, location of the vehicle.

All this information helps insurers assess risk profile for each vehicle they are insuring. Insurance firms are also now encouraging organisations to have their cars connected to reduce their premiums.