Bannari Infotech to launch fleet tracking device

R.Y. Narayanan

COIMBATORE, Oct. 22

THE Coimbatore-based Bannari Infotech Pvt Ltd is readying to launch a device to track the movement of vehicles which can be analysed by the computer later.

The company, belonging to the Bannari Amman (Sugars) group, has tied up with a US software major for assistance which will have a global positioning system (GPS)-based location recording device, software and digital map package. It will be commercially launched in early December, according to Mr K.S. Sundara Raman, MD, Bannari Infotech Pvt Ltd.

He told Business Line that the device weighing around 200 gm, would be competitively priced.

Even for someone, who is not computer-savvy, accessing the data would not be a complicated process, he said.

There are several devices available for such tracking purposes including those based on satellite-navigation and those based on cellular communications. But these required high-capital investment and monthly recurring costs.

Hence, his company had opted for a more cost-effective system that suited the Indian scenario where commercial transportation was dominated by small operators and was largely unorganised.

He said their market study showed that driver compliance and optimisation of operating costs were the two most crucial factors for which a passive device was more suitable. In the US, such a passive device is sold for $ 600 each (approximately Rs 30,000). But his company will introduce this product around Rs 12,500 a unit and there would be no recurring expenses involved.

He said the model to be introduced by his company would need no Internet connection for analysing the data. The device would store the data in memory and when the vehicles returned to their base, the operator could load the data in a computer for analysis.

Asked about the economy of scale for large scale purchase of the device, he said this may not be much. But for an operator who wants to ensure that he does not lose revenue because of the driver's lapses and wants to optimise operational costs, the device will be a boon. They could recover the investment on a device in less than a month.

By mapping the information relating to latitude, longitude and time on a digital map, it would be possible to track the movement of a vehicle even up to individual street level, apart from knowing the speed of travel, location, time and duration of stops, where the signal was lost and regained etc, he said.

This would help analyse traffic-compliance, optimisation of fuel consumption etc. And it needed just five clicks for a person to log on to the map.

His company was experimenting with the possibility of making IT a regional language software for easier user-adaptability. It will not be an intimidating experience and most of the interfaces were graphic-interfaces, which even a layman could use.

The company was the sole solution provider and the product was being marketed by his company, he said. Effectively, two major contributors in this venture were his company and the US software major that would be providing the software for the device. He, however, did not want to name the US company at this juncture.

He said the unit could be placed on the dashboard of vehicles where line of sight was available and could be connected to a power source. Though not totally tamper proof, any meddling with the device could be easily detected, he added.

Mr Sundara Raman said the company may come out with more loaded versions of the device after gauging the market response. Initially, the company was hoping to gain business from large fleet operators since the value proposition was the highest for this segment and also courier companies. But this device would be useful for bus operators too, he said.

In the beginning, the hardware would come almost totally from abroad. It would be bundled with the software and packaged, both from Coimbatore and Chennai. At a later date, the company could set up a manufacturing facility but was unwilling to commit any time-frame for that.