On-board software increases peace of mind

Entry-level fleet owners can enjoy increased peace of mind regarding the safety of their large, cross-border vehicle fleets, owing to the cost-effective QIC-SUR global postioning system (GPS) tracking unit.

Asset management solutions provider QCIC director Brian McKenzie explains that QIC-SUR is an economical, full-featured vehicle-tracking product, designed by Pretoria-based QCIC to ensure easy and reliable installation in all types of motor vehicles.

It is the ideal solution for all automotive tracking applications where an internal backup battery is required, he adds.
QIC-SUR is a complete vehicle-tracking and communications device incorporating next-generation, super-sensitive GPS technology on general packet radio service/global system for mobile (GPRS/GSM) cellular networks for installation in any 12 V or 24 V vehicle, says McKenzie.

“Entry-level fleets that include sales representatives, delivery vehicles, courier services and maintenance vehicles, and even private individuals who require more than a dormant recovery device with no added functionality, can benefit from the added value that QIC-SUR offers,” he adds.

McKenzie indicates that superior internal antennas for cellular and GPS connections eliminate the need for wired antennas, therefore ensuring that the QIC-SUR device is mountable almost anywhere in the vehicle to ensure a user-friendly and inexpensive installation.

“Messages are transported on the GPRS/GSM network using enhanced SMS or user datagram protocol messaging to create a reliable 24/7 communications link between the device and the application servers. This ensures near-real-time activity reports using a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone,” he adds.
Further, McKenzie notes that these reports include the areas visited, and the speed and trip reports coupled with accurate mileage completed. In addition to its GPS performance, QIC-SUR also boasts an internal 200 mAh backup battery and starter disable and panic buttons, as well as other accessories.

For added value, QIC-SUR employs QCIC’s on-board programmable event generator alert engine, which monitors external conditions and supports customer-defined threshold conditions pertaining to time, date, location, geozone and input, as well as other event combinations.

“These exception-based rules can be programmed by QCIC at a customer’s facility or over the air once the unit has been fielded to meet the needs of a specific application,” says McKenzie.
QIC-SUR also leverages QCIC’s over-the-air device management and maintenance programming, updates and logistics system, which enable configuration parameters, the parsing expression grammar rules and firmware to be updated over the air.

Since the official QIC-SUR launch in June 2012, QCIC has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the market, says McKenzie.

“The device has proven particularly popular in automotive insurance use, stolen vehicle recovery, vehicle finance and auto rental applications.”

Looking to the future, McKenzie is optimistic about continued success. “Vehicle tracking is becoming increasingly important and QIC-SUR is a highly effective solution that is affordable for businesses with small budgets.”