According to new a research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of fleet management units deployed in commercial fleets in Europe will exceed 1 million next year. Even though the overall penetration level is just a few percent, some segments such as road transport will attain adoption rates above 30 percent. The report cites customer awareness of the benefits of telematics as the main driver behind growth. "Today managers generally know that fleet management technology can help their businesses reduce costs and improve efficiency. The main challenge for the industry is now to come up with solutions tailored for specific customer needs and implementing those in a timely manner", said Tobias Ryberg, senior analyst, Berg Insight.
New regulations related to road transport activities also have a major impact on the market environment. The introduction of digital tachographs in the EU from May 2006 has added new reporting duties for truck fleet owners. Currently, tachograph data about driving times must be collected from vehicles using physical media. From 2008 a new standard will however make it possible to automatically download this data remotely using any fleet management system installed on the vehicle.