Work Truck Magazine, April 2018

24 WORK TRUCK APRIL 2018 that help them stay ahead of the competition better serve their own customers and add to the bottom line The Verizon Connect team has also been working hard to simplify access to our technologies by making vast improvements to the user interfaces youll see in our apps working to deliver insights instead of just data and most importantly offering customers a one stopshop approach to purchasing from us We know that having multiple vendors suppliers log ins platforms and technologies can slow productivity and add complexity to our customers businesses which is why Verizon Connect is the only partner that has everything they need in one place from embedded and aftermarket options for hardware and installations to comprehensive mobile workforce and fleet management software solutions and Verizon 4G LTE connectivity Verizon Connect is also made up of more than 3500 of the most dedicated and experienced professionals in the business who are in the trenches with our customers every day helping them succeed We grew our customer success organization by more than 65 in 2017 and we are continuing to add new talent WT What major influencing factors do you see impacting the fleet industry over the next five to 10 years VZC It is the inevitable ubiquity of autonomous vehicles that will without question affect all aspects of daily life the only questions are how long it will take and in what form it will arrive While consumers have the luxury of gradually warming up to the idea businesses have no choice but to plan for the future or get left behind in the market As companies wade through the various predictions and prognostications of the autonomous future they should zero in on the effects that the connected vehicle ecosystem can have now to increase the efficiency productivity and safety of their fleets and mobile workers Autonomous technology is both newsworthy and exciting but like all radical technologies it will take time to fully take hold In the same way that broad market penetration of the internet took years autonomous vehicles will similarly require an active change in both consumer and business behavior It may be that autonomys promise of a safer tomorrow will accelerate adoption but given concerns around todays safety control regulation infrastructure and insurance it will take legislation and broader agreement among government agencies and multinational corporations for autonomous vehicles to be fully embraced In the interim companies should look to advancements in connected commercial vehicle technologies and related applications for strategies they can apply to boost safety productivity and efficiency for the entirety of their mobile operations people vehicles and assets Not only will expanded connectivity and smarter applications increasingly remove the guesswork from mobile and field operations but the increased agility that comes from embracing these advancements will future proof our customers organizations and prepare them for what lies ahead WT What changes do you expect to see specifically related to fleet telematics solution providers over the next two to five years VZC Many of our customers have already enabled smart load tracking routing and other connected solutions In recent years major advancements driven by faster connectivity and hardware innovation have improved cost compliance and safety that traditional fleet and workforce management systems provide Examples include compliance systems driver behavior monitoring and coaching AI powered predictive maintenance real time GPSenabled parking advanced traffic and more Traditional fleet management systems also share a natural adjacency with field service management FSM solutions that enable enhanced productivity and communication for mobile workers as they perform their work VERIZON CONNECT Verizon Connects Workforce solution includes commercial grade navigation taking into account access and speed limitations placed on fleet vehicles and telling drivers where to enter each jobsite