Making Telematics Simple and Scalable with Cellular Connectivity

DCS is an IoT Solutions provider that offers telematics, asset tracking, and monitoring services for the transportation, hospitality, agricultural, and telecommunications industries, among others. At the heart of their solution is MiFleet, a customizable GPS tracking and fleet management platform designed to help managers keep tabs on their vehicles and personnel in the field.

This data is drawn from a series of wired, solar, or battery-powered cameras, sensors, and other smart devices installed in mission-critical assets, then funneled into a cloud-based software platform that makes monitoring an expansive deployment easy and efficient. This data puts fleet managers at the front and center of their deployment, with the actionable intel, near real-time asset tracking, and video recordings necessary to make informed business decisions in a timely manner. 

With an operational area that spans the continental US and beyond, DCS’s platform is designed to make managing mobile fleets accessible and simple. Yet that may not be as easy as it sounds.

The Challenge – Cutting Through The Red Tape of Multiple Carriers

It is an unfortunate truth of IoT that no Mobile Network Operator can be everywhere at once. For most businesses deploying solutions that require devices to stay connected across geographical – at times even international – borders, that means using multiple connectivity vendors. 

The problem with using multiple vendors is that each one has its own way of doing things. This means users are left to manage multiple contracts with multiple rate plans, variable overage fees, and multiple business relationships. This is to say nothing of the technical difficulties that come with managing separate SIMs for each vendor.

Billing challenges only grow more complex when your business model involves working with resellers, as inconsistencies in billing make it harder to know what to charge resellers and their customers. DCS bundles wireless fees into the price of their monthly service contracts, and with most MVNOs charging different rates depending on which carrier the device connects to – and the nature of mobile vehicle fleets making it nearly impossible to anticipate which carrier a device will connect to at any given moment –  creating a fair and consistent billing structure for its clients was a major priority for DCS.

The Solution – Connectivity Partners that Simplify the Billing Process

Creating a suitable solution for this issue requires a multifaceted approach. For one, DCS needed a connectivity partner that could ensure consistent nationwide coverage at a consistent price. In Soracom, DCS found a provider that not only offers reliable multicarrier connectivity across North America but can also offer flat rate billing, one rate overage, and custom pricing that provides them with the flexibility to deliver designed rate plans to their vertical customers.

Because Soracom sets a single rate per MB used, regardless of which carrier a device may be connecting to at any given time, the billing experience is consistent and predictable. Combine that with the largest coverage area of any IoT provider, best-in-class customer service, and an architecture supporting an uptime record of 99 percent over the past three years, and you’ve got a recipe for an ideal connectivity solution.

Once fees accrued, DCS needed a way to simplify them for downstream billing for their end customers. Simetric made this simple. With a platform designed to simplify complex data streams into easily digestible forms, their solution enables the creation of a single, easy-to-understand, and consistent bill. The end result is an invoice that covers only the specific devices and data used by a customer in their own individualized pricing.

“The key is a single SIM, a single source, a single bundle, and – more importantly – a single bill that is legible and correct. Used in combination, Soracom and Simetric have created a simple approach to pricing, allowing DCS to effectively charge their resellers and solution providers with a bundled solution for a “single price” that is inclusive of platform, connectivity, and hardware.”

John Hubler

Member, Board of Directors
DCS

“Soracom and Simetric have created a singular approach to pricing, allowing DCS to effectively provide their resellers and solution providers with a bundled solution for a single price that is inclusive of platform, connectivity, and hardware,” said John Hubler of the DCS Board of Directors. ”Every device is now enabled with Simetric and Soracom as a single source solution for deployments across North America Soracom has enabled blended technologies within their platform.”

A Combined Solution that Turns Formerly Complex Billing Simple

Telematics companies that bake connectivity into their product offerings face considerable challenges efficiently billing customers. No single carrier can ensure that devices stay connected wherever they go, and working with multiple vendors can create an impenetrable web of pricing structures, contracts, and relationships. Combining these two factors can make fair and consistent billing of customers a nightmare.

By deploying Soracom connectivity with Simetric’s data tools, DCS is able to connect its fleet of sensors and cameras securely and reliably bill its customers based on their own usage and pricing. Between multi-carrier coverage, consistent pricing, and excellent customer service, Soracom has proven an ideal connectivity partner; add Simetric coalescing that data into a simple individualized downstream billing system, and the pairing is a natural solution for any organization reliant upon a distributed business model,” said Hubler.

Filed under: TransportationSupply ChainAsset tracking