The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Technology (CERT) the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology has announced that the UAE’s first ‘home-grown’ technology solution for the management of traffic has generated over US$ 100 million in potential sales at Gitex last week.

Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Vice-Chairman, CERT Group of Companies explains the functionality of CERT 'Falcon' to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai during his visit to CERT stall at Gitex 2006.

Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Vice Chairman, CERT, commented, “Further announcements will be made shortly regarding a series of MOUs which have been agreed in principle and a number of contracts that will be signed before the end of the year. CERT ‘Falcon’ is a next generation customised telematics solution which aims to lead the regional market for vehicle telematics and fleet management solutions.”

CERT Telematics has been developed over the last two years to address safety in transportation and logistics issues, at a cost of several million US dollars. The product is the culmination of a research and development agreement between CERT Innovations, and IBM Engineering and Technology Services, to expand and enhance patented IBM technology. Telematics solutions enables remote access to vehicle data over a wireless network using the satellite Global Positioning System (GPS) in conjunction with GSM and GPRS digital mobile network, can supply fundamental vehicle data to managers via web-based applications.

Regular data transfers can report on mileage, fuel consumption, precise position and routes travelled, as well as on vehicle statistics like speed and engine performance. The device flags violations of pre-defined operating zones or geofences and designated delivery routes, accidents or vehicle abuse. Vehicles can also be equipped with tracking devices attached to engine immobilisers and alarm systems and drivers can activate panic buttons in case of emergencies.

CERT’s unique ‘Real-Time Fleet Management System’ combines full telematics data services with flexible open voice communication between dispatchers, drivers and customers to significantly reduce delivery times, fuel consumption and insurance costs, while optimising fleet management.

It also offers fleet dispatching and scheduling, continuous fleet tracking, fleet optimisation and management reports, traffic monitoring, route planning, real-time delivery information and customer service. In practice, this means drivers can be instructed instantly to alter delivery schedules, quantities or destinations.
Additional features include a back-office software interface, automatically generated insurance reports and text message display.

“One of the most satisfying aspects of our launch at Gitex was the range and depth of the enquiries. We met with fleet managers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, representing government organisations as well as private companies involved in car hire, courier services, taxi operators, retailers and construction,” added Dr. Kamali.