German Telematics Award 2024 confirms market and innovation leadership of idem telematics

• On the podium in five key disciplines, with two first-place finishes
• First places in swap trailers and vehicle technology confirm holistic networking concept
• Market leader expects boom from new trailer tyre pressure monitoring regulation
• Jens Zeller: "Innovation strategy also provides security for new telematics users"

Munich/Ulm, 31/10/2023 --- idem telematics has broken its own record at the German Telematics Award: the combination of well thought-out practical benefits and sustainable innovative capacity has put the European market leader on the podium no less than five times, including two first-place finishes. A valuable decision-making aid for vehicle operators who now want to get involved in vehicle networking with a view to upcoming EU regulations.

Truck-trailer telematics is increasingly advancing from an accessory to an integrated component of vehicle technology, and this development is confirmed by the German Telematics Award for idem telematics: first place in the "Vehicle Technology" category confirms the holistic technology concept of the European market leader. It networks every vehicle category in the transport industry, from trucks and trailers to vans and swap trailers, and is increasingly being installed ex works by leading manufacturers. Here, trailers and especially swap bodies, where vehicles and superstructures are only temporarily connected and are used in a wide variety of combinations and on different routes, are considered to be the supreme discipline of transport telematics. This is the third time that idem telematics has won the German Telematics Award in the trailer and swap trailer category. There were also awards in the disciplines of location/tracking, transport management and driver management.

A special characteristic of the German Telematics Award is the depth and accuracy with which both the practical use of the solutions and the future potential of the participating companies are examined. The jury, consisting of experts from research, industry, consulting and media, presents typical everyday tasks that have to be solved under time pressure with the fewest possible clicks on the user interfaces of the terminal devices.

Furthermore, the participating companies must disclose their innovation plans – this is also intended to protect the purchasing decision of vehicle operators who only now want to get involved in transport networking. The industry expects a boost for the standard telematics pre-equipment of trailers from the new UN ECE R 141 regulation: from July 2024, it will also prescribe tyre pressure monitoring systems for trailers for the first time. idem telematics allows vehicle operators to comply with the regulation in three stages with a simple, smart or comprehensive range of functions and to discover the possibilities of telematics step by step.

Jens Zeller, Managing Director of idem telematics: "The transport industry is facing fundamental changes. Artificial intelligence and the networking of drivers, freight and vehicles open up fascinating opportunities to exploit completely new efficiency potential. This is why the industry must not lose sight of the fact that many vehicle operators and even vehicle manufacturers are still hesitant to get involved in telematics. As a European market and innovation leader, we therefore also see it as our task to facilitate safe and uncomplicated entry for small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the only way we can sustainably preserve the diversity of the transport industry in the long term."

The German Telematics Award was presented for the fifth time on 31st October in Berlin at the DEKRA Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference. For the fifth award, under the direction of Prof. Heinz-Leo Dudek, the jury has once again tightened the evaluation criteria for the submitted solutions. In particular, the solution of practical tasks under time pressure is considered a "stress test" for the tested systems. Among other things, this includes the creation of a geofence along a specific route. But it also deals with the evaluation of more complex functions and system properties, covering a broad spectrum: technical issues relating to maintenance are examined just as closely as questions relating to route monitoring. The jury is composed of well-known industry experts: Prof. Dr Heinz-Leo Dudek (DHBW Ravensburg), Stephan Feitzelmayer (SF Telematik), Martin Trümper (Dekra), Andreas Schmidt (BGL), Carsten Nallinger (ETM Verlag), Johannes-Nikolaus Nießen (P3 Group).