Masternaut News Xtra

ISSUE 1
NEWS FROM MASTERNAUT & THREE X COMMUNICATION
INSIDE THIS ISSUE...
GORDON RAMSAY BACKS CAMPAIGN
MASTERNAUT SUPPORTS DRAGONS’ DEN WINNERS IGLOO
DRIVING DOWN INSURANCE COSTS
TRACKING IN SUPPORT OF £MULTI-MILLION DEAL
MASTERNAUT GET THE ‘X’ FACTOR
WELCOME>
Welcome to the first edition of News Extra, our quarterly
newsletter that gives you an insight into our company.
in this issue index pages
Super service for supermarkets 3
Millers Vanguard begin live
tracking of service fleet
Driving down insurance costs
Norwich Union scheme rewards
telematics-equipped fleets
4
Latest product innovations
New developments protect
lone workers and calculate
individual journey costs
4
Masternaut acquires
GE Mobile Solutions
Three X boosts Masternaut’s
mobile systems capability
MOD building maintenance
goes hi-tech
Satellite tracking boosts
service to 12,000
MOD homes
5
Dragons’ Den winner Igloo
Tracking helps award winning
company take control
contact
Masternaut (UK) Ltd. Priory Park,
Great North Road, Aberford, LEEDS
LS25 3DF United Kingdom
Telephone:(44) 08444 150 150
[email protected]
www.masternaut.co.uk
Our investment in Three X has provided Masternaut with a product for every
stage of a company’s technological road map. We provide managed
services including vehicle tracking and mobile software for the service,
logistics and public sector. Our mobile solutions are flexible, and can be
implemented stand-alone through web-delivery or fully integrated with your
existing back office software. This is an industry first.
We will be exhibiting at the Commercial Vehicle Show in the NEC
from Tuesday April 24th, and I look forward to welcoming you to stand
number 5216.
If you are not attending the show, Masternaut’s home is just one mile from
Junction 47 of the M1. You are very welcome to pop in and meet the team,
view our Headquarters and Data Centre. We’d be delighted to see you
and will make you very welcome.
All the best.
6
Martin Port Managing Director T: 079736 71779
NEWS>
GAP Group prove service gains 7
Plant and tool hire firm
benefits from Proof of Delivery
signature capture
Keeping newspaper
distribution on time
Geo-fencing helps TNT
Newsfast meet critical
delivery slots
Masternaut is now firmly established as the market
leader in end-to-end mobile solutions, I am delighted to
welcome new customers to the Masternaut Three X
family and equally proud that we have achieved this
status whilst retaining our open, innovative and customer
centric culture.
8
8
Gordon Ramsay backs campaign
Gordon Ramsay backs Masternaut initiative to help put
a smile on the faces of over a thousand older people.
Masternaut joined up with one of its
customers, Help the Aged, by
funding 1000 meals for older
people. The top chef heard about
the Help the Aged Lunch 2006
programme
after
a
chance
conversation with Managing Director
Martin Port at Heathrow Airport.
The famous chef said: “I am fully
behind the Help the Aged campaign.
During the season of goodwill it is
sad to think that many older people
spend it in isolation. By donating
what you can to the cause we can
hopefully brighten up some people’s
lives by giving them a Christmas
dinner to remember.”
Martin Port added: “When I spotted
Gordon it seemed like fate had
stepped in to help our campaign.
He’s a family man who’s cooked for
the rich and famous but he was so
touched by the facts that he was
only too willing to support the Help
the Aged campaign.”
Masternaut has been working with
Help the Aged to make more money
available for disadvantaged older
people by boosting the efficiency of
their collections vans, which
transport donated goods to and
from homes and shops across the
UK. An initial pilot of the Masternaut
system was so successful that the
charity has now equipped 170
of its collection vehicles with a new
in-cab wireless data and satellite
tracking system.
NEWS>
HOT ISSUES>
Super service for supermarkets
New tax law for
company vans
Millers Vanguard, providers of specialist maintenance
services to leading supermarket chains Sainsbury’s,
Waitrose and Marks and Spencer, has begun live tracking
its service fleet over the web.
Already improving communication
between the mobile workforce,
office based staff and the client
base, the Masternaut service also
supports the company’s Lone Worker
Protection Policy and integrates with
back-office systems.
Millers Vanguard, part of the AGA
Group of companies, specialise in the
service, maintenance and supply of instore
catering
equipment
to
supermarkets. The company operates
a nationwide fleet of 120 delivery,
service and maintenance vehicles.
“Knowing where our vehicles are at any
given point in time enables us to
respond quickly and with up to date
information to requests from our
clients,” said Wayne Tiffany, Warehouse
and
Transport
Manager
at
Millers Vanguard. “This improves
communication and therefore customer
service levels. In addition the
information from Masternaut supports
our Lone Worker Protection Policy,
securing the health and safety of the
mobile workforce.”
“The real-time information
provided by the system has
dramatically improved our
day to day operations,”
continued
Tiffany.
“In
addition both the standard
and customised reports
generated by Masternaut
are integrated with our back
office systems to improve
activity reporting, payroll
and hopefully in the future
job scheduling.”
From 6th April 2007 the rules governing
the unrestricted use of Company Vans
for private mileage change.
The benefit in kind charge increases
from £500 to £3000, with a further
£500 benefit charge if fuel is supplied.
National insurance contributions also
increase proportionately.
The new tax change will affect many
companies where employees use vans
to get to and from work, particularly
when they have gone straight home
from a job, and have access to these
vehicles during non working hours.
Drivers of company vans wishing to opt
out of the scheme should request an
agreement
from
the
company
permitting the use of the van for
ordinary commuting from place of work
to home, and state to the company that
the vehicle will not be used privately.
The burden of proof will be on the
employee to prove that the vehicle has
not been used privately. Masternaut’s
customers benefit from a unique driver
ID solution that automatically records
and
separates
business
and
private mileage.
2/3
NEWS>
Driving down insurance costs
Britain’s largest insurer Norwich Union has awarded
Masternaut Approved Supplier status for its web-based
vehicle tracking service.
Hopkins, the manufacturers and
suppliers of high quality catering
equipment, has earned a rebate on their
insurance premium thanks to a web
based vehicle telematics service from
Masternaut, following the award of
approved supplier status by Norwich
Union for Masternaut’s satellite tracking
service.
Hopkins manufacture, supply and install
virtually every item required for the
commercial preparation and display of
food. Based in Pudsey, West Yorkshire,
the company operates a range of
vehicles including cars, light vans and
delivery trucks, all of which are
Masternaut equipped.
“We couldn’t operate our fleet without
Masternaut,” said Chris Hopkins,
Managing Director. “Even before the
agreement with Norwich Union the
benefits provided by Masternaut
delivered a return on our investment.
The additional insurance premium
rebate means that the service effectively
pays for itself.”
The Norwich Union ‘Fleet Telematics’
insurance product rewards fleet
operators who have invested in an
approved telematics device, such as
Masternaut. Masternaut presents a
monthly activity report directly to
Norwich Union, using this information
Norwich Union calculates an annual
‘Risk Recognition Rebates’ that can be
up to 16% of the annual policy premium.
Masternaut Offers Microsoft’s
Next Generation Web Mapping
and Location Service
Search Infomill
& Wolseley On-Line
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT>
Lone Worker
M-Lone Worker is a discreet panic
button that has been designed to have
the look and feel of an identity badge
providing Lone Workers with a peace of
mind solution ensuring safety whilst
on site.
When activated, a one way voice call is
opened to a specified number (or
monitoring station) where the operator
can listen in to any panic call. If the lone
worker is deemed to be in danger then
a location position can be obtained and
assistance can be arranged.
Masternaut’s Lone Worker Solution can
be utilised on the panic button
hardware or on a standard mobile
phone. When a user selects the panic
alarm, a call is made to a specialist
monitoring station.
Vehicles can now be tracked using
street-level aerial photography following
the latest innovation by Masternaut.
Using Microsoft® Virtual Earth™.
Masternaut users can now view vehicle
movements in real-time from any web
enabled PC or mobile device, against a
backdrop of high-resolution aerial
photography or satellite imagery. This
bird’s eye view of the real world
supplements the existing street
mapping layer providing additional
information and detail.
Using online street mapping and aerial
photography from Microsoft Virtual
Earth, fleet managers can view vehicle
movements in real-time in their
real-world context, via a secure log-in
from any web-connected PC or
handheld device.
Combining Wolseley’s on-line parts
ordering service, online component
diagrams from infomill, and the power
of Three X software, we are offering a
new service where a mobile technician
can browse machine diagrams to
identify the right component and then
order on-line from a mobile devise.
This unique system gives engineer
confidence that when a part arrives it
will be the right one, and helps
company’s manage their stock better.
The Three X mobile software integrates
seamlessly with Wolseley and Infomill
to give you access to thousands
of individual parts from hundreds
of manufacturers.
NEWS>
OUR STRENGTH, OUR TEAM>
Masternaut gets the ‘x’ factor
Richard Sanderson newly
appointed Service Director
One of the best known names in the mobile data market,
Three X, is being re-launched following Masternaut's
acquisition of GE Mobile Solutions.
Three X Communication Ltd was first
formed in 1984, becoming part of GE in
1995. The acquisition in Autumn 2006
has given Masternaut an important
competitive advantage by becoming
the only telematics provider to offer a
comprehensive, fully featured end-toend solution for managing both vehicle
fleets and remote personnel.
Masternaut expects the combined
business turnover to increase to £20
million with the acquisition adding over
8000 users with Blue Chip clients
including Siemens, Coors, GAP Group
and ATS Euromaster.
"The acquisition of Three X is a very
significant
development
in
the
telematics industry. For the first time, we
have convergence of two leading
providers of the core satellite tracking
and
mobile
communications
technologies. This gives us the X-Factor
and the industry can now get exactly
what it requires; a completely integrated
end-to-end
mobile
management
solution with highly secure and resilient
applications suitable for all sectors
employing mobile workers" comments
Martin Port, Managing Director
of Masternaut.
Masternaut
are
proud to announce
that
Richard
Sanderson
has
joined Masternaut
as Service Director.
With a vast range
of service based
experience
Richard has most
recently worked at
Orange, where he helped set up their
corporate customer support department.
Jude Pearson promoted
to Customer Services Manager
Jude Pearson has
been promoted to
Customer Services
M a n a g e r
overseeing a team
of 25. Jude joined
Masternaut nearly
four years ago, and
has an outstanding
knowledge of our
solutions
and
customers. Congratulations Jude.
NEW Service Initiative
Masternaut has aligned the customer
service teams into three industry sectors:
Transport & Logistics; Service; and
Public Sector & Community Services.
The Customer Service Team will provide
their customers with the following:
• Focused industry training sessions
• E-Reports library that is
industry specific
• Information on current functionality not
being used
• Information on new features specific for
your industry sector
4/5
NEW CONTRACT>
Tracking in support of £multi-million MOD deal
Masternaut used as part of a £700 million contract with the Ministry of Defence.
The MOD contract was awarded to
MODern Housing Solutions (MHS) a
joint venture between Carillion, Atkins
and Enterprise Plc. This covers the
maintenance and small works to the
MOD’s
40,000
plus
family
accommodation units. Masternaut is
being used to track a fleet of over
200
maintenance
and
service
vehicles leased from Carillion Fleet
Management. This fleet is operated by
HOT ISSUES>
Western Extension
to the Congestion
Charging Zone
London's congestion charge
zone has roughly doubled in
size. Masternaut’s congestion
charge alerting system has been
updated to reflect these
changes.
The
system
automatically recognises that a
vehicle has entered the charge
zone (we call this feature
geo-fencing) and provides an
alert by text, email or on-screen
web-enabled pop-up window.
This serves as a reminder to our
customers that they have
entered the charging zone and
helps avoid fines.
To assist set-up
automatic
alerts
please contact your
customer service
representative
on
08444 150 150.
building service and maintenance
company Ian Williams, who have been
appointed to provide response
maintenance and other works to
approximately 12,000 MOD properties
in the South of England, as part of the
MHS contract.
Morgan, Account Manager for Ian
Williams. “This has had a significant
impact on our service delivery,
noticeably reducing ‘down time’ and
therefore improving overall efficiency.
There are also benefits for the health
and safety of our mobile workforce, as
we know the exact location of every
team member so we can react quickly
should the need arise.”
“Using Masternaut vehicle tracking we
know exactly where all our vehicles are
at any point in time,” said Steve
CASE STUDY>
Tracking the biscuit
United Biscuits has fitted 175 trailers with
the tracker and a further 22 tractor units
and 3 vans have been equipped with the
standard Masternaut telematics. Drivers
have their own electronic ID keys, giving
controllers automatic verification of the
driver. UB also relies heavily on contractor
vehicles and drivers and the trailer units
are powered and activated on coupling so
that all loads are tracked.
Thanks to a new trailer tracking system
United Biscuits anticipates savings of
£100,000 a year through the improved
utilisation of its fleet and resources.
The self-contained Masternaut trailer units
provide GPS tracking and GPRS
communications giving a live picture of the
distribution operation in progress.
"Masternaut gives us complete visibility of
the entire in-progress transport operation.
We know where everyone is all of the time
and this makes it much easier to plan
dynamically; adjusting schedules and
routes as required. Since we rely on
contractors, the trailer tracker is perfect
for us as it is the whereabouts and
progress of the load that is important and
this system works whoever is pulling the
trailer" says Rob Wright, National
Distribution Controller for UB.
NEW PRODUCT>
COMPANY NEWS >
Masternaut e-mail reports help optimise
transport and service operations
Masternaut European
Market Leaders
Masternaut is now firmly established
as the European market leader.
Subscriptions have doubled year on
year. Masternaut now operate in 10
European countries.
Masternaut has launched a dynamic
e-mail service that provides a choice of
over 300 customisable reports
illustrating the exact movement of any
vehicle fitted with its industry leading
telematics product.
The M-Reports service is a feature of
the web-based Masternaut mobile
resource solution that shows the real
time movements of vehicles on maps
displayed on the internet.
The e-mail service is aimed at
companies who run fleets and need
accurate records of timekeeping and
vehicle usage. Daily, weekly and
monthly reports show the actual fleet
utilisation and service performance for
comparison against the planned
schedules and service performance
obligations. The electronic time sheets
meanwhile provide an instant check for
payroll and overtime.
Working completely automatically,
Masternaut links to satellite navigation
and electronic driver ID to provide real
time information on vehicle movements
and driver activity. Masternaut is a fully
managed service that delivers exactly
the information needed in a convenient
and easy-to-use way through any PC
with Internet connection.
Masternaut in the UK has experienced
nearly 100% growth year on year. This
success has been achieved by winning
new business, customers placing
repeat orders to support their growing
fleet. Three X Mobile software sales will
exceed 10,000 subscribers by the
end of 2007.
Skipton
Leeds
Germany
Masternaut also links Pocket PC
devices located on an on-dash cradle
for navigation with route plans, real time
traffic reports, and full job despatching
functionality. In addition, links to
sensors and vehicle equipment allow
other data to be automatically collected
and added to the e-mail reports.
Brussels
Poland
Luxembourg
France
Switzerland
Italy
Andorra
Spain
Portugal
SUBSCRIBER GROWTH (000’s)
THREE X NEWS>
100
GAP Group proves services gains
Plant and
tool hire
firm GAP
G r o u p
has made
big improvements in efficiency and
customer service thanks to an
innovative mobile technology.
Three X provides PDA signature capture
to automate Proofs of Delivery (POD)
management. Using PDA style
handheld devices, the system provides
real time visibility between GAP Group’s
hire depot and its drivers.
Any customer POD request can now be
actioned immediately from wherever in
the group. It does not have to be
redirected to the relevant depot.
Queries relating to proof of delivery are
able to be answered quickly which
speeds up the process of getting
invoices agreed and paid. According to
the GAP Group this saves depots time
and money as they no longer have to
search their files for the paperwork; they
just send straight from the system with
signature attached.
“We had already identified a need to
utilise our internal capability more
effectively in order to improve our
service. Three X provided the online
management solution and as a direct
result of our investment, Gap Group
have competed vigorously for, and won,
new contracts over competitors. We
believe that this technology is an asset
to our industry. In the future all
customers will expect this level of
service and it has certainly provided us
with a clear advantage” said John
Foster, IT Manager, GAP Group
50
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Masternaut’s French parent Sanef
www.sanef.com
recently
was
purchased by Abertis www.abertis.com
Europes second largest toll road
company. Abertis/Sanef are capitalised
at 13 billion euros. In the UK Abertis
own Luton, Cardiff and Belfast
Airports. Our strength in the
Transportation sector make Masternaut
the ideal partner for any company
investing
in
Mobile
Resource
Management solutions.
6/7
CASE STUDY>
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY>
Masternaut Supports
DRAGONS’ DEN
Winners Igloo
4TH
TUESDAY!
Igloo Thermo-Logistics, specialist
service providers for the food and
pharmaceutical
industries
and
successful participants in the BBC Two
hit series Dragons’ Den, has invested in
a sophisticated web-based vehicle
management system from Masternaut.
Using
satellite
tracking
and
temperature-monitoring equipment,
Masternaut monitors the precise
temperature and location of every
individual Igloo consignment, giving
round the clock, real time visibility
of their time and temperature
critical operation.
Anthony Coates-Smith and co-founder
Alistair Turner, appeared on BBC
Two’s Dragons’ Den. After receiving
offer and counter offer from all five
Dragons (a programme first!), the pair
eventually accepted a joint investment
of £160,000 from entrepreneurs
Duncan Bannatyne OBE and Richard
Farleigh in return for a 22.5% stake in
the business.
Due to heightened demand, we will
now be adding more FREE training
days for our customers at
Masternaut HQ. These take place
on the 4th Tuesday of every month.
What’s the idea?
“Since appearing on Dragons’ Den we
have opened a new chilled storage and
distribution facility in Leeds and we are
planning to open a third site later this
year,” said Coates-Smith. “This
development is due in part to the
investment received, which by the way
Duncan Bannatyne has been quoted as
saying ‘is the best I ever made’, and in
part to the recent award of large
contract by Leeds City Council.
Our successful tender was based on
our
proven
track
record
for
temperature-controlled transportation
supported by our investment in the
Masternaut solution.”
CASE STUDY>
Packed with fresh ideas, useful tips,
and industry wisdom this intensive
training session will ensure you and
your colleagues get the most out of
your company’s investment in the
Masternaut solution. In just one lively
fun day, you’ll gain a head full of
ideas and a wealth of new
techniques that you can apply right
away to improve your company’s
return on investment.
Who should attend?
Anyone involved in
Masternaut System.
using
the
What is the cost?
There is no cost to attend.
There are limited spaces available
so, reserve your place now.
Please contact your customer
service representative.
Masternaut keeps TNT Newsfast on-time
TNT Newsfast has customised its
Masternaut telematics service to alert
when vehicles reach key stages of their
journey; wholesalers receive 20-minute
pre-alerts via a text message.
Masternaut provides TNT with an
instant network so that everyone has
total and live visibility of the delivery
operation. Staff at print centres, the
head office and at the wholesalers can
see live journey progress, check for
on-screen updates and alerts enabling
an instant reaction should problems
occur on route.
TNT Newsfast has equipped 800
vehicles with a 'time alert' satellite
tracking system to help meet crucial
early morning deadlines for delivering
daily newspapers to wholesalers.
"Time is the big factor in our business.
Nothing is quite as time-critical as daily
newspapers and Masternaut gives total
visibility of the progress of all vehicles.
Masternaut help us deliver right on time,
every-time" says Mark O' Connor, TNT
Newsfast Divisional Director.
April 24th-26th
CV SHOW
Stand 5216
NEC Birmingham
April 26th
IN MOTION 2007
Motor Heritage
Centre, Gaydon,
Warwickshire
Oct 28th-Nov 1st
INTERBUILD 2007
Stand D120 NEC
Birmingham
www.interbuild.com
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