DriverConnex has secured ERDF funding for a new telematics app.

Backing for DriverConnex, which comes under the Electric and Intelligent Vehicles project programme, coincides with the company’s move to Coventry University Technology Park.

“Small and medium sizes business are facing a big challenge with regards to driver and fleet management - increasingly they are subject to the same risks, compliance and legislative requirements as large enterprises but exposed by a lack of appropriate solutions,” said Mark Andrews, founder and managing director.

“SME’s need a flexible, cost effective ‘driver-centric’ solution that is not reliant on fixed in-vehicle hardware installation; something that can cater for the broader mix of vehicles they operate, such as when company vehicles operate alongside those owned by their employees and are used for business purposes (the grey fleet).”

DriverConnex has devised a system that will comprise of a dedicated app downloaded onto each employee’s smartphone (or other mobile device) synchronised with a web portal to enable real-time fleet/driver management.

The app will be released in both IOS and Android platforms this spring and will complement the company’s existing range of white-label mobile applications that provide fleets with a simple way to capitalise on mobile technology, regardless of whether they have established fleet management software in operation or not.

The app will use the freemium pricing model - no hardware costs, free entry-level aspects to the service for personal use with upgradable premium aspects so that organisations can pick and mix from a suite of modular functionality to create a solution tailored to their needs.

Andrews believes this approach could revolutionise the current view of telematics as something regarded as just the preserve of large fleets.

“We have already done a lot of work with SMEs and drivers and know they will be drawn to a solution that is not reliant on any additional hardware/installation and simply use the device they already have with them constantly – their smartphone”.

 “With mobile technology, the key is not just to create a menu of functionality you think will be useful, it’s about designing a user experience and user interface that is intuitive and driver focused - creating something drivers will want to use, as opposed to something they feel compelled to use because it is mandatory."

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