Tell us a little about Eagle-i and its activities, and your involvement.
Ian Walmsley: We are the one of the oldest established telematics company in the UK, originally founded in 1995. We are somewhat unusual in that we develop, design, manufacture and sell all of our own products and services, supporting them in the field. This makes us an end-to-end telematics solutions supplier. I joined the company in 2007, with the objective to reposition the business from a pure technology provider to a market-focused solutions business.  A key part of that strategy was to develop and position our Open Telematics Platform and to launch a new sales strategy engaging with strategic partners, as well as the traditional sales model of selling directly to fleet operators. We now have strategic partnerships with leasing companies, insurers and fleet management software suppliers. This approach gives us a far more wide-ranging reach into the marketplace.

What exactly is included in the term ‘telematics solutions’ as provided by Eagle-i?
Ian Walmsley: What we offer to fleet managers and other users through our Open Telematics Platform is a system that is scalable, communicates effectively with other systems and produces meaningful centralised management information. Users can select from a menu of fleet management solutions, key elements that are really relevant to the operation of their fleets, rather than have a complete system imposed on them that provide meaningless functionality.
These elements include proactive service management solutions that allow vehicle leasing companies to reduce service and maintenance costs by up to 10% and fleet management solutions that enable fleet operators to cut operating costs through reduced fuel consumption, improve mobile workforce productivity and efficiency, and achieve compliance with duty of care, taxation and environmental legislation.

What are the main benefits of your products and services for client companies?
Ian Walmsley: Our solutions provide improved cost management, increased productivity and efficiency and improved compliance. We deliver benefits through areas such as modifying driver behaviours, reducing costs from improved speed management and improving vehicle utilisation.  Environmental impact is of importance to all our clients as it reduces fuel costs, typically by 8-12%, and carbon footprint. Vehicle tracking – important in case of accident or theft – mobile asset management, satellite navigation and worker protection are just some of the other benefits we provide. 

You have recently commissioned a wide-ranging survey into fleet telematics services. What were the main findings of this?
Ian Walmsley: Firstly, this research was carried out by leading analysts Frost & Sullivan and was the most in-depth survey ever carried out into the European fleet telematics industry. It took six months to complete. We found that contract hire and leasing companies will be able to improve both profitability and residual value management through the use of new generation fleet telematics services. This will also lead to improved customer service and, therefore, better customer retention. We commissioned the report on Western Europe and ensured it included the UK, France and Germany, the three major fleet markets.

Do you have some concrete examples?
Ian Walmsley: It is forecast that sales of fleet telematics services will rise from the current 2 billion Euros to around 6.4 billion Euros in 2013, growth of over 20% per year. It was also estimated that leasing and hire companies would be able to achieve savings of approximately 130 Euros per year per car through lower costs of mileage capture and administration, better service anticipation and monitoring, reduced maintenance costs, and more effective contract management.

Did the research provide data for different segments?
Ian Walmsley: Yes, it was very interesting to find that the LCV segment will provide the highest growth potential over the next five years, moving up from around 582 million Euros now to a little over 3.5 million Euros in 2013, some 30% per annum. These figures are massively ahead of those for the medium and heavy truck segment, which predicts growth well down into single figures for all three countries. In country terms, France shows the highest potential – 36% –   followed by Germany at 29% and the UK at 27%. In terms of business sectors, the European leasing sector is estimated to grow by 65% in terms of its consumption of fleet telematics services, and the insurance sector by a massive 195%.

Some prestigious contracts have come your way. Can you first tell us a little about Axa?
Ian Walmsley: The contract we have won from Axa Assistance involves geo-localisation services in thirteen countries. We will provide in-vehicle positioning systems and geolocalisation services to its call centres along with web-based case and fleet management. This will mean that Axa can quickly locate the nearest recovery service to a vehicle in the case of an accident, and keep the client informed. Initially, our equipment will be fitted to Axa’s own fleet, and then move on to its pan-European approved supplier network. Importantly, the EU is moving towards a pan-European e-call system, and our technology enables Axa to be in line with this. The advantage to the driver is obvious – improved, speedier recovery services which, in extreme cases, could mean the difference between life and death.

What about your partnership with Hitachi?
Ian Walmsley: We have signed a three year deal to supply telematics-based fleet management services to customers of Hitachi Capital. The objective of this is to help these customers make their fleets greener, cut operating costs and fulfil duty of care obligations. Hitachi had carried out research which showed that 58% of its customers believed that telematics technology will help to make their fleets more environmentally friendly, while 42% believe it will lead to financial savings. So through this partnership, we will provide Hitachi with a number of benefits including a range of high value management solutions that will manage vehicle mileages, cut fuel consumption and costs, and reduce carbon footprint. At the same time, fleet operators will also benefit from a series of risk management solutions, through TERM (telematics enabled risk management) modules within our Open Telematics Platform. We were obviously very pleased to have been selected by both Hitachi and Axa Assistance, as there were a number of well-reputed telematics suppliers under consideration.

Though young when compared to traditional companies, Eagle-i is an experienced hand when it comes to telematics, and clearly knows not only where it is going, but what a fast-moving sector requires – not by thinking just in terms of technology, but of market-oriented, added value solutions.

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