Field Service IT News For VARs — September 30, 2014
By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer
This week’s news spotlights predictions the field service management market will grow through 2018 and a new website that provides information on technologies that contribute to increased efficiency for fleets.
September Confidence Index Shows An Increase
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation released its Monthly Confidence Index (MCI) for September. According to the report, the index saw an increase to 60.2, up from the August index of 58.9. Of those who responded 15.2 expect to increase business development activity spending, down from 21.2 percent in August, and 84.8 percent do not expect any change in their spending, up from 78.8 percent.
Field Service Management Market Expecting Growth Through 2018
A report by Explore Global shows that the field service management market is expecting a growth of 12.33 percent CACR by the year 2018. The higher adoption rate of mobile field service management software has been driven by an increase in the use of cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Minimizing costs, quick response times, and ease of implementation makes such solutions an attractive alternative to more traditional field service management systems.
Trucking Efficiency Website Aims To Reduce Fuel Costs
According to a Fleet Owner article, “New Fuel Efficiency Resource for Trucking Launched,” entrepreneur Richard Branson, working with the National American Council for Freight Efficiency, has launched TruckingEfficiency.org. The site provides information on technologies that contribute to efficient operation of a fleet.
Field Service IT Talking Points
Check out how the taxi app Uber has combined geofencing technology to keep its drivers within restricted boundaries. This helps cut down on the flow of traffic at such areas as Los Angeles International Airport.
Market analysis company Pyramid Research released its Cellular M2M Services in Africa & the Middle East report that looks at the development of key trends in cellular M2M verticals in Africa and the Middle East (AME). According to the report, cellular M2M SIMs should account for 3.2 percent of all mobile subscriptions in the region by end of 2018.
The Danish city of Odense plans on using GPS devices to track the city’s homeless population, according to a CityLab article. The idea is to bring the homeless of Odense the services they need. Completely optional for the participants, the trackers will keep city officials up to date on where the homeless go, how they get to those locations, and how long they stay there.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Field Service Tech Center.