Boston, MA, October 1, 2012
TomTom Business Solutions announced today that its Software Alliance Program is now allowing over-the-air delivery of predefined routes into the PRO series of connected navigation devices. Using the WEBFLEET API, industry-specific routing software vendors can integrate with TomTom's fleet navigation devices and send predefined routes directly to the vehicle. For industries that serve many customer deliveries or pick up points along a prescribed route, this capability can increase service levels and efficiency by up to 20 percent.
Route planning software providers develop optimal routing algorithms for a wide range of vertical markets, including delivery, heavy transport, school bus, trash collection, paratransit, snow plows, food delivery, meter reading, and concrete ready mix. TomTom's open APIs allow these software vendors to introduce new advanced routing capabilities which were not possible until now.
Companies can ensure drivers take the approved route, issue warnings when there's a deviation, and enable their customers to track progress of the given route, improving visibility into their operations. When routes change or new drivers take over an existing route, TomTom helps drivers learn new routes by providing turn-by-turn directions to pick-up or delivery locations.
“Our clients experience many benefits when sending our proprietary routes to TomTom's navigation device” said Antonio Civitella, CEO of Transfinder. “Reduced driver distraction, real-time vehicle monitoring and route compliance provide a significant return on investment to our more than 1,500 school district clients”.
Customized routes are sent to the TomTom navigation devices in the vehicle, displaying the routes as they were designed. This enables companies to empower their workers with turn-by-turn navigation on a professional grade PND. Drivers no longer have to use outdated and distracting printed directions to follow their predefined routes because TomTom devices can display routes as they were originally defined. Additionally route optimization solutions ensure that drivers with several stops per street segment and potentially hundreds of stops per zip code, where the side of the street is a significant factor, efficiently complete their routes.
“While specific routing needs vary by industry, companies requiring granular control of their drivers' routes share some common characteristics. Transportation of heavy loads and dangerous goods, avoiding dangerous neighborhoods, school zones and excessive U-turns are typical examples” said Matthew Curtis, Software Alliance manager, TomTom Business Solutions. “Now, fleet managers have an effective tool to ensure drivers are adhering to the rules and restrictions of the road and using the most effective route to get to their destination, all while keeping them safe”
TomTom's Software Alliance Program provides easy access to TomTom Business Solutions' rich set of APIs, enabling the development of integrated “Over-the-Road” vehicle and driver management capabilities. Leveraging these APIs and the company's industry-leading map data, IQ routes and HD traffic, TomTom's partners can rapidly deploy a host of solutions including: quickest ETA vehicle assignment; real-time ETA calculations; two-way communications for dispatching and work-order flow; integrated turn-by-turn navigation; active driver feedback; real-time GPS tracking and driver safety features.
