Location Based Systems

InnovITS Advance, the UK research and development centre for telecommunications, automotive and electronics industries, has carried out a demonstration of capability in the area of eCall testing and certification.

GetTaxi, which unveiled its revolutionary new way for businesses to order London black taxis earlier this year, has now launched a free consumer mobile app, enabling all smartphone users (iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Nokia) to order a taxi at the tap of a button on the mobile device or via a web interface.

UK fleet tracking expert, Tracker, has unveiled what it claims is a ground-breaking new technology that offers fleet managers the most accurate vehicle idling data available on the market. The company has patented its Transient Voltage Detection (TVD) technology and incorporated it into Tracker Fleet.

Nexcom has announced that major US wireless carrier AT&T has certified its VTC 6110 in-vehicle computer as being compatible with the AT&T carrier network. The robust unit can be used in any truck, bus, car or other service vehicle.

Transperth, a division of the Western Australia Public Transport Authority (PTA), has announced it will conduct a 12-month trial, starting early in 2012, of a system to allow their contracted bus operators to better manage and deliver services.

To continue funding rapid growth and market expansion, DriveCam has entered into a definitive agreement to raise US$85 million in investment capital from Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe XI, (WCAS), a New York-based private equity firm.

The US Department of Transportation (US DoT) has selected the Battelle Memorial Institute to develop a new Transit Safety Retrofit Package (TRP) that will be used as part of the Safety Pilot model deployment. The focus of this procurement is to acquire a qualified team to integrate wireless Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) technology into transit vehicles and to develop research prototypes of appropriate safety applications on these vehicles. These applications must be interoperable with other ve

Innovative instrument clusters and head-up displays are becoming increasingly popular amongst OEMs and customers alike, according to IMS Research’s new automotive study, “The World Market for Automotive OEM Electronic Systems – 2011 Edition.”

The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), Canada, has selected Bentley Systems’ Power InRoads as its new transportation design solution, the first transportation agency worldwide to standardise on the company’s new stand-alone offering. Power InRoads includes the InRoads Suite, the drafting and document production capabilities of MicroStation, Bentley Map functionality, and seamless interoperation with the ProjectWise V8i system of collaboration servers and services, and Bentley Navigator V8i software f

According to a study by Pike Research of the market opportunity for telematics in plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), the annual revenue from sales of EV telematics will reach US$1.4 billion by 2017. Pike Research says that for electric vehicles, telematics can deliver information on electric usage, pricing, and state of charge to owners as well as helping drivers to check on the battery, the charge rate and even assist them to find the nearest charging station. The technology is likely to play a crucial role