APD Communications Selected to Showcase End-to-End Vehicle Telematics Solution at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch Exhibition

APD recognised as being at the forefront of fleet data and driver management

LONDON, 17th March 2011 - APD Communications, a global leader in control room, mobile information, resource location and tracking solutions, today announced that its INCA2 in-vehicle communication hub and Co-Ordinator Reports have been chosen by the ACPO ITS "One Box" team to showcase its Driver and Vehicle Data Management solutions in an all new Vauxhall Astra police vehicle at this year's Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) exhibition.

The HOSDB exhibition is the UK's premier event for showcasing the latest specialist security products, technology and services. The invitation only event will take place on the 22-24th March in Farnborough, Hampshire. Delegates from international police and security services will use the exhibition to engage with the UK's security industry. This year's event will address issues such as: crime and policing, border security, counter terrorism and fleet management.

The ACPO ITS "One Box" driver and vehicle data management project is a programme aimed at improving safety and reducing costs associated with both the driving and management of police fleets and their drivers. ACPO ITS recently held a competition to identify companies whose solutions were working towards producing a Driver and Vehicle Data Management System.

APD was one of the companies chosen, due to its ability to demonstrate they were closer than the other entrants to meeting the user requirements provided by the ACPO ITS team.

During the review process, the "One Box" project team found that the combination of INCA2 and Co-Ordinator Reports showed the potential to provide forces with:

• automated management information and alerts on driver and vehicle performance in both real time and post event

• a way of measuring fuel consumption to help compare and potentially reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, and reduce vehicle wear and tear across vehicle fleets

• information that may enable benchmarking across UK forces

• journey data recording technology to track and monitor vehicle resources, leading to greater optimisation of fleets

• real-time information that may be used as proof of driver behaviour - allowing forces to protect officers

• the potential to cut overheads and reinvest budget in front-line services

Discussing the event Dr Paul Harrison, ITS Project Manager at Home Office Scientific Development Branch commented: "This year's judging process was one of the most difficult we have had to complete. The prototype products that were presented, signified a major step forward towards meeting the One Box vision of driver and vehicle data management. The next stage is to conduct a number of real world trials, with all the systems in the competition, that will identify and validate the scale of improvements in safety and sizable savings that could be made across the UK police service and beyond."

Commenting on the achievement Steve Denison, Managing Director at APD Communications said: "It is fantastic to be recognised as being at the forefront of the police market in terms of fleet management and driver behaviour. To be able to showcase our solutions at such a prestigious event is a great honour for us."

"The UK's forces are under severe financial pressure so solutions that help reduce overheads are of increasing importance. We have developed the technology, that has the potential to help identify more effective ways of managing police fleets, enabling forces to realise efficiency gains, improve environmental footprints and increase public confidence in the services offered by forces.

Following the exhibition, we will continue to work with the ACPO ITS team, to take the demonstration technology forward into real world testing. We feel the best way to continue this improvement is through the capture, retention, presentation and analysis of both vehicle and driver data," concluded Denison.

As well as managing vehicle fleets more efficiently, INCA2 is compatible with a range of the latest smart devices including: iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows phones, enabling officers to access in-vehicle information in real-time. This in turn allows staff to be accurately trained and reviewed whilst in the field.

About INCA2 and Co-Ordinator

INCA2 is bearer-independent and therefore future proof, with the capability to operate over a wide range of networks including GPRS, GSM, 3G, Paknet, TETRA and can support multi bearer intelligent switching. The product is designed to be extremely flexible with huge integration potential at a low risk investment. The Linux-based operating system can be updated at any time via the USB interface or overair. WiFi functionality helps to remove the need for additional in-vehicle cabling while on-board digital inputs and outputs allow in-vehicle equipment to be monitored and controlled remotely in real-time. A CANbus interface provides a range of options for vehicle diagnostics and emissions monitoring, helping managers reduce their fleet's fuel costs and carbon footprint.

Leveraging robust SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Co-Ordinator Reports provides police forces with a highly scalable reporting product, capable of analysing a variety of data sources. Staff can use the tool to create, manage, and deliver reports via any web-connected PC. Reports can be exported to a range of popular formats (including PDF, HTML, Word, Excel). Staff can interactively explore data within reports by selecting it and clicking through to map areas, reducing the chance of information being misinterpreted. Using Co-Ordinator Reports, fleet resources are optimised, ensuring that the right number and type of vehicles are being utilised, at the right time, at the right place. Through improved driver behaviour the ongoing fleet running costs can be reduced due to less wear and tear on the vehicles.

For more information visit:
www.apdcomms.com