Background
Their proposition of GPS and cellular-based blackbox systems appears on the surface to deliver ‘bread and butter’ location-based data to track workforces and assets, supported by a variety of other types of information, such as driver behaviour, periods of engine idling, battery voltage monitoring and door open sensors. Yet, combine the latter with short-term contracts from as little as eight weeks, and the nature of Pinpointers’ commercial model immediately sets them apart from other tracking providers.
- Pinpointers deliver minimal term contract tracking solutions to London Olympics
- Tracking contracts from as little as eight weeks
- Challenge of cellular connectivity contracts met by Wireless Logic
The Challenge
Pinpointers have created what Managing Director Jon Pope describes as a ’boutique tracking operation’, servicing national and international customers with short-term ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions: “In the last two years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the market wanting tracking contracts that can be set up in hours and last for only a few weeks or months. The challenge from the outset has been to successfully monetise a model that is cost-effective to the user and be commercially viable for us. Many contracts later, and we’ve proven that Pinpointers have got it absolutely right.”
Described as a genuine ‘plug and play’ tracking solution, Pinpointers have focused their SIM-enabled P500 device within the global events arena, with short-term contracts such as major sporting events including London 2012’s Olympics. “Key to our success with projects like the Olympics was our ability to create a mobile tracking device, powered by the vehicle’s in-car charger, and portable from car to car as the fleet was despatched on a day to day basis,” continues Pinpointers’ Jon Pope. “And it was our capability to provide hundreds of ready-to-use tracking solutions immediately, and controlled through Pinpointers’ cloud-based management platform, that secured this and a number of other high-profile contracts during 2012.”
The Solution
Behind every tracking unit is the cellular connectivity. Pinpointers work in partnership with Europe’s leading M2M Managed Services provider, Wireless Logic. From managing Pinpointers’ mainstream tracking contracts that include a growing number of global brands, the team at Wireless Logic were also challenged to create cellular contract models to fit in with the rapid turnaround and flexible-timed contracts introduced by Pinpointers’ team. Wireless Logic’s Director of Business Development, Jon-Paul Clarke explains: “To achieve the levels of tailored solution required, we majored on Wireless Logic’s ‘SIMPro’ SIM-estate management tool to deliver Pinpointers’ out of the box proposition. With a one-window solution to every network and every device, the SIMPro platform enabled Pinpointers to literally ‘switch on and off’ SIMs and reassign to new contracts and customers. SIMPro’s SIMswap allowed individual SIMs to be transposed and fundamental to the model, ‘data aggregation’ on custom-groups of SIMs delivered the type of usage flexibility demanded by the short-term contract model.”
For Pinpointers, Wireless Logic’s breadth and diversity of services mean that connectivity is seamless, regardless of location, length of contract or amount of data usage. “We are now actively in dialogue with major forthcoming events in Russia, Brazil and across Europe,” continues Jon Pope of Pinpointers. “So this means utilising a number of cellular networks, but importantly, all in our complete control and management. We are using Telenor, Vodafone Global and other European networks via the Wireless Logic platform. With their team we are creating our own tailored contracts that give us the ability to roll out fleet-wide solutions, from 10 to 10,000 devices in the shortest possible time and term. Quite simply, there is no other organisation that can deliver such a boutique offering.”
As the M2M market evolves, the need for connectivity that delivers minimal contract terms at a competitive fixed price will grow and grow. With Pinpointers, we have empowered them to re-purpose typical 12 or 24 month terms so that their customers can take delivery of ‘off the shelf’ tracking that works as soon as it’s powered up, with contracts from as little as eight weeks. That’s unique for the telematics industry and a big box ticked for organisations that need minimal term contract tracking solutions for major sporting and leisure events to other deployments where fleet usage is across a limited and defined time period.