Let’s face it. Fleet technology buyers have never exactly suffered from a lack of choice. The tricky part is getting all those different technologies and vendors to speak the same language.
Toronto-based Terminal is on a mission to change that. The fleet data platform recently raised $20 million in Series A funding to expand its infrastructure. That represents a sizeable vote of confidence in telematics data aggregation, signaling an industry that’s getting much better at working with fragmentation.
For fleet technology buyers, that’s great news.
Why Fleet Data Integration Is Suddenly Such a Big Deal
Modern fleets can generate data from just about everywhere:
- An ELD records hours of service.
- A GPS device tracks location.
- Dashcams capture video and safety events.
- OEM systems provide vehicle data straight from the factory.
- Sensors monitor everything from temperature to tire pressure.
And that’s just for starters.
But collecting lots of data and getting multi-vendor telematics to play nicely together so you can actually use it are two very different things. Typically, each provider has its own APIs, data formats, terminology, and integration requirements. The more systems you add to the mix, the more connections you have to build and maintain before all that information can flow reliably into fleet management, insurance, maintenance, analytics, and other business systems.
That’s where telematics data aggregation comes in. Case in point, at the time of the funding announcement, Terminal was already connected to more than 325 providers through a single API, bringing data from various sources into a standardized format. Instead of building and maintaining integration after integration, one connection does the heavy lifting.
How Fleet Technology Is Becoming More Interoperable
The good news for fleet managers and technology buyers is that Terminal isn’t operating in a vacuum. OEMs are increasingly embedding connectivity directly into vehicles, while major telematics platforms are opening up their ecosystems through APIs, integrations, and technology partnerships. For example:
- Geotab supports data from multiple OEMs alongside aftermarket telematics hardware.
- Holman centralizes information from multiple telematics service providers through its Preferred Integration Network.
- Motive combines embedded OEM vehicle data with data from vehicles using Motive hardware in the same platform.
- Samsara supports OEM connectivity and aftermarket gateways, along with a wider ecosystem of 350+ integrations.
That said, we’re not yet at the point where every system works seamlessly with every other system. So this certainly isn’t an invitation to start collecting technology vendors like trading cards!
However, there’s no denying that greater telematics interoperability offers more choice. And as the walls between systems come down, there’s more and more freedom to select solutions that suit specific vehicles, applications, and operational requirements, rather than simply riding with whatever happens to sit inside one vendor ecosystem.
4 Practical Benefits of Telematics Data Aggregation
Beyond the obvious advantages of tidier data and fewer integrations to babysit, improved telematics aggregation also delivers some very tangible benefits:
- Match the technology to the job: A dashcam provider that’s perfect for your long-haul trucks may not offer the asset tracking you need for trailers or equipment. Likewise, different vehicle classes, operating environments, and use cases may require very different hardware.
- Make mixed and acquired fleets less messy: Mergers, acquisitions, regional operations, and legacy systems can leave several telematics environments under one roof. Aggregating your data makes it easier to live with that reality while deciding what stays and what goes.
- Take the pressure off platform migrations: Switching providers across hundreds of vehicles takes time. Keeping old and new systems working alongside each other in the interim gives you breathing room to phase transitions around vehicle availability and operational schedules.
- Make the next technology change less painful: When downstream systems aren’t completely dependent on data arriving from one provider in one particular format, changing part of your tech stack doesn’t have to create a domino effect.
The common thread here is flexibility without chaos. Invariably, contracts will end, your requirements will change, and better technology will come along. Improved telematics data integration makes it easier to accommodate those changes without having to knock everything else down and start again.
Great Data Still Starts with the Hardware
One data layer doesn’t equate to one hardware layer. Any fleet data platform can take information from five different devices and make it look beautifully consistent on a screen. But that won’t make those five devices identical underneath the dash. For example, telematics hardware can come with very different installation requirements for:
- Wiring
- Mounting
- Power sourcing
- Antenna positioning
- Peripheral connections
- System configuration
- Testing and validation
Add multiple vehicle makes, models, years, and asset types into the equation, and a flexible tech stack can quickly create a complicated installation environment.
The upshot for multi-vendor fleets? Installation needs to be every bit as flexible as the technology architecture around it.
What to Look for in a Telematics Hardware Installation Partner
While telematics provider consolidation can solve upstream interoperability problems, it doesn’t remove the need to deploy every physical component correctly in the first place.
Here’s what to prioritize to keep installation from becoming the bottleneck.
1. Hardware-Agnostic Expertise
Your tech stack shouldn’t dictate your installation partner. Look for a partner with proven experience across different manufacturers and device types. That way, introducing a new dashcam, replacing an ELD, or changing providers doesn’t mean starting your field-support search all over again.
2. Standardized Installation Procedures
Different hardware shouldn’t have to mean different standards. Sure, device-specific procedures may vary. But expectations around workmanship, vehicle protection, cable management, testing, documentation, and sign-off should remain consistent across every installation.
3. Centralized Deployment Management
Multi-vendor deployments come with plenty of moving parts. Think hardware, vehicles, schedules, removals, and returns. And that’s without even considering the inevitable curveballs when reality refuses to follow the spreadsheet! Centralized project management keeps everything moving in the same direction.
4. Consistent QA and Documentation
Having more hardware to manage makes accurate record-keeping essential. Look for a process that verifies every installation and documents which device went into which vehicle, what work was completed, and whether everything was tested and working before sign-off. Bonus points if that documentation includes photos for visual proof.
Fleet Technology Integration Done Right
As telematics data aggregation continues to simplify back-office work, Orbital Installation Technologies is on hand to get your systems installed, verified, and ready to work on the ground.
Our hardware-agnostic approach helps fleets deploy, replace, and manage telematics solutions from leading providers to the same high standard. Behind every deployment, our proprietary TaskRaptor™ platform provides centralized installation records, GPS and photo verification, and quality control. The result? Consistent, verifiable installations, no matter what hardware your fleet is running.
Planning a multi-vendor deployment, platform migration, or fleet technology upgrade? Contact us today and start building an installation plan that keeps your options open and your vehicles moving.
