Vehicle Tracking News
News Article Listings
August 12th 2007
Vehicle tracking used to monitor London taxis and reduce pollution.
V-Sol has been working closely with Eco-Power, emission reduction specialists, helping them by tracking vehicle usage and allowing Eco-Power to gain approval for their system in record time.
The Eco-Power system is an emission reduction system for London Taxis which has been approved by the Energy Savings Trust (EST) and the Public Carriage Office (PCO) to meet the new Euro 3 emissions standard for London Taxis following a directive from the Mayor of London - Ken Livingston, aimed at reducing the carbon footprint and CO2 emissions of ageing vehicles in the Greater London region.
The system comprises of a Diesel Cat and Filter and a patented low pressure EGR System which incorporates a heat exchanger to use the diesel fuel as a coolant. This has the effect of cooling the exhaust gas in the most efficient way (conventional EGR uses the engine coolant which means it does not cool the engine as efficiently). An added advantage is that the diesel fuel is heated slightly which further helps the process in making it burn more efficiently.
The test procedure, which was managed by the EST, required 3 back to back emissions tests at a VCA approved emissions laboratory which had to pass a Euro 3 drive cycle test. The next part of the procedure was to carry out a 10,000 mile durability test. Previously this test had to be conducted over a 6 month period but in order to accelerate the procedure Eco-Power agreed with the PCO and EST to install a comprehensive real time tracking system.
V-SOL installed a state of the art tracking system on the taxi which was closely monitored by the EST and PCO. The system allowed real time online monitoring by giving password protected access to the relevant officials who were able to establish the exact movements of the taxi and therefore confirm that it was covering the 10,000 miles in a normal London Taxi drive cycle in and around London (and not doing laps around the M25 just to cover the miles!)
The PCO and EST were very impressed with the detailed reports and online features that the V-SOL tracking system provided. Eco-Power having completed the durability trial then conducted a further three back to back emissions tests and has now received approval of the system by the PCO please see link :-
18-07-Emissions-Strategy-for-London-Taxis.pdf
"Eco-Power would like to thank David Isom and the rest of the team at V-SOL for their support with this project and for providing top of the range equipment and excellent customer service," said Dave Davies.
David Isom, Managing Director of V-SOL commented, "The London taxi plays an important part in the capital's economy, for tourism and business alike. Unlike other vehicles, they are built to last, however old vehicles are not currently environmentally friendly. V-Sol is proud to have assisted in the testing of what will be a ground breaking green project.
"By providing continual, real time monitoring, we have helped to prove that Eco-Power is fit for purpose and will deliver the benefits it promises. V-Sol share their philosophy and pride in providing a high quality, cutting edge technology to vehicle systems."
With some commentators seeing vehicle tracking as an Orwellian step, that has a negative impact for use in road charging and congestion systems, it is refreshing to be reminded that such technology can be hugely beneficial in helping vehicles to reduce their impact on the environment. By reducing emissions, monitoring efficiency and correctly tracking vehicles, it is possible to reduce pollution and provide a tangible benefit for everyone.
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June 6th 2007
V-SOL to provide their latest premium GPS tracking technology to the reseller channel.
V-SOL Limited have been manufacturing Premium Quality Vehicle Tracking and Communication Systems for 10 Years. Up until now they have been supplied direct to end users only. As of June 2007 V-SOL 3rd Generation Technology is going to be made available to the channel.
Managing Director David Isom.
"The UK is being flooded with imported GPS tracking systems from China. The end users of these products are often being misled about both the capabilities and likely life of these systems.
As a responsible manufacture we have been considering for sometime how we can bridge the gap between the two ends of the market. Three years ago we started working on a new product to do exactly that. The results of this development are now complete.
Our 3rd Generation GPRS/GSM/Broadband GPS Vehicle Tracking and Communications product breaks new ground by providing a PREMIUM solution in terms of quality and capability, supplied at an end user price point that is competitive, even when measured against the low cost foreign imports.
Our solutions can now be supplied and managed LOCALLY by businesses who already supply and support computer and communications systems.
V-SOL are able to provide the channel with a complete packaged solution along with direct access to our support and development team. The arrangements will be that the end user can now buy from a local company but also have the confidence that support is at hand from the Manufacturer should it ever be required."
For more information see our website, Reseller channel solutions.
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April 30th 2007
New company van taxation rules: How Vehicle Tracking Systems can help.
This month the Inland Revenue starts collecting increased taxation for private use of company vans as the Benefit In Kind (BIK) value increases from £500 to £3500. Managers of field service fleets will have to show compliance and vehicle tracking company V-SOL Limited have reports and advice on how to do it.
The impact of these changes will be huge: every van driver will be up to £100 worse off a month and companies will likely have to compensate drivers for this increase in tax payments.
What's more employers are liable for NI contributions on the Benefit In Kind value, which means a bill of £448 per driver per year (where fuel is provided). With compensation for reduced net pay taken into account, employers could face bills of £1,294 for lower rate tax payers and £2,448 for those on the higher rate.
For those organisations that decide not to allow private mileage, there are significant obligations in terms of record-keeping. Those allowing private mileage, or having written private usage into employee contracts, will face a hefty bill.
The burden of proof for the Inland Revenue is placed squarely on employers. Businesses will have to keep mileage records that prove every van in the fleet has been used purely for work-related journeys. For example, a Tax Inspector may have seen a company van in a supermarket car park on a Saturday afternoon. The company will need to be able to prove that this was either a business journey or that the employee did not use the vehicle to go to the supermarket regularly at weekends. Journeys to and from work are permitted, as is the odd 'exceptional' journey - for example using a company van on one occasion to help a family.
It becomes the company's responsibility to implement processes to capture, review and approve data on vehicle activity, and then store it for at least six years. Without the right technological support, this can be difficult to execute, as manual records are cumbersome to compile, work through and then store.
Vehicle Tracking solutions collect all of this data automatically and create reports that can be emailed on a weekly basis for verification (and storage). Detailed reports can highlight any journeys that fall outside the rules and then be passed to the employee for verification/clarification. Journey routes can be viewed at any time to verify locations, and vehicle tracking can be used to validate or even replace manual timesheet processes. This helps satisfy the requirements of the Inland Revenue with minimal effort on the part of the business.
If you don't include fuel, then you do reduce the level of tax liability, but you also take-on a burden of proof, as you must be able to differentiate between business and personal use. Vehicle tracking can provide the information needed to make calculations for fuel usage that needs to be charged, or validate claims from drivers.
Van drivers with full private use privileges as part of their contract - including fuel provision - will have the full tax liability. This means that businesses need to find an additional £1000+ per driver per year to offset the liability. Mileage records do not have to be kept for the IR, but there is a large increase in costs that has to be addressed.
Contact V-SOL
Click here for more information.
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April 17th 2007
V-SOL Customers to Benefit from Microsoft Virtual Earth Satellite Mapping
The Virtual Earth platform is Microsoft's NEXT generation mapping and location service. It combines the best of MapPoint Web Service with exciting new innovations such as bird's eye, satellite and aerial imagery, map styles and usability as well as enhanced local search. The Virtual Earth platform has become the best solution available on the market. V-SOL Remote.Net customers are now able to get detailed aerial views, fully scalable road maps and route planning by address or post code for any of their vehicles in Real Time.
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September 4th 2006
V-SOL launches V-SOL Remote.Net
V-SOL have been providing Real Time Live vehicle tracking for longer than any other company in the UK. With V-SOL Remote.Net we are now able to offer customers access to our class leading leading technology via a standard internet browser. As of the beginning of October 2006 V-SOL are delighted to add this new product V-SOL Remote .Net T to the prestigious V-Sol range.
V-SOL Central remains our Premium Real Time Client Server Platform whilst also providing the feed to V-SOL Remote.Net Live tracking via the WEB from any where in the world at any time is provided. V-SOL Remote.Net also provides information on the current progress on the days activity along with real time access to detailed daily and weekly reports on times, places, speeds and mileage.
There is a GUEST LOGIN for you try for yourself before you buy.
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May 12th 2006
V-SOL maintains ISO 9001:2000
On the 11th May 2006 our fifth external ISO audit was carried out. We are proud to have our registration maintained but what was even more important for us and our customers is that we are able to do so with Zero Major Non Conformities and Zero Minor Non Conformities, for the fifth year running, an outstanding achievement !
More information
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April 20th 2006
V-SOL Anywhere "Just in Time Fitting"
Just one day after commissioning the V-SOL Anywhere Tracking System into their vehicles "All In Property Services" had a vehicle stolen. A quick call to V-SOL meant that the vehicle was instantly located just a few streets away from where it was stolen. Within just a few hours it was back with its rightful owner.
V-SOL provided "All In Property Services" with 14 Vehicle Tracking units primarily to assist in the day to day management and running of the business.
Julie Boardman (Director) told V-SOL "The idea that the vehicle tracking system would help us should a vehicle ever be stolen was always in the back of our minds but we could never have guessed how quickly it would pay dividends"
All In Property Services Limited provide a Range of property repossession services throughout the United Kingdom http://www.allinproperty.co.uk/services.asp
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January 10th 2006
Weighed Down by dead wood?
Info: 36% of staff say employers do not bother to take action on under performing co-workers.
According to a recent survey carried our for YouGov just about every business in the country employing more than four people have a problem with someone not pulling their weight. So bad is this in some cases that up to 30% of those affected are looking for a new job elsewhere.
If you wait until the under performance problem is so bad you are forced to deal with it then you may well have already lost your best staff. Whether the business is small or large the problem is the same "Fear of change and confrontation".
V-SOL have been supplying solutions to assist businesses for nearly ten years and understand only to well that technology in itself is not the answer. The answer is in how that technology is used.
The good news from the survey is that 77% of all staff are concerned about the effects that under performance causes to the business they work in.
When implemented in a positive way vehicle tracking systems lead to a more motivated workforce and that can only be good for your business, although it will be bad news for the deadwood.
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June 23rd 2005
V-SOL launches V-SOL Remote ™
As of the beginning of July 2005. V-SOL are to start trials of an new and exciting product V-SOL Remote ™.
V-SOL Remote ™ will allow any person with an email address (subject only to security) to request information on the latest whereabouts of a vehicle. By removing the need for a browser it is possible to guarantee compatibility. If you would like to be one of the first to experience V-SOL Remote ™ and be prepared to assist us with feedback please let us know and we will provide you with details via email.
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June 3rd 2005
V-SOL Customer Recovers Stolen Vehicle in Record Time
An employee of Roalco Limited came out of his house in Sidcup, Kent at 7:30am to find his Renault Master had gone missing overnight.
The office were contacted and they established that the vehicle was parked just a few miles away. The police were contacted, but before they could attend, the vehicle started to move! Roalco were able to track the vehicle on a second-by-second basis and direct the police. It appears that it was being used for a drug-related crime. Within a few hours the police had completed investigations, including forensics, and the van was able to be collected by Roalco. By the same afternoon it was back in service!
Graeme Rayner, Roalco's Transport Manager who looks after their 85 tracked vehicles, told V-SOL;
"We use the system for so many different things now and even though some of them are 6 years old, and have been in three different vehicles, they just keep on going. Thank you, V-SOL!"
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May 12th 2005
V-SOL maintains ISO 9001:2000
On the 12th May 2005 our fourth external ISO audit was carried out. We are proud to have our registration maintained but what was even more important for us and our customers is that we are able to do so with no Zero Major Non Conformities and Zero Minor Non Conformities, for the fourth year running, an outstanding achievement.
Click here for more information.
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May 10th 2005
V-SOL tracks the 7th Annual Gumball 3000 Rally!
Once again we follow the progress of Mark Shaw and Rob Andrew as they compete in this year's Gumball 3000 Rally from London to Monaco in their V-SOL-equipped, Chevrolet-powered Range Rover!
The rally was inspired by the Cannonball Run movie, British entrepreneur Maximillian Cooper conceived of a multi-day, 3000+ mile rally across Europe in 1999. The rally has taken place annually ever since,
and this year the 7th annual Gumball 3000 leaves from Trafalgar Square, London, meandering its' way around Europe to finish in Monaco for the Formula 1 Grand Prix!
Click here for more information.
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April 19th 2005
V-Sol chosen to supply Vehicle Tracking Technology to MOD (Ministry of Defence)
The DPA (Defence Procurement Agency) today agreed that V-SOL could announce it has been awarded a contract to supply Vehicle Tracking Technology to the MOD (Ministry of Defence).
Click here for more information.
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January 5th 2005
On the buses
V-SOL have been selected to provide Vehicle Tracking System Technology to Transport For London, London Buses - TSG
The Mayor of London, Mr Ken Livingstone, is passionate about Transport for London. During his time in office, services have improved considerably and TFL have a huge investment over the coming years to improve things even further.
Equipment is being installed during January 2005 and will be fully operational by the end of February 2005.
Click here for more information.
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October 24th 2004
V-SOL on a winner with L (Frankie) Dettori
Frankie Dettori - the most famous jockey in the world and the most popular. Mr Dettori is that rare thing in horse racing - a real superstar. The Italian-born jockey's ability in the saddle, cheeky good humour, immaculate dress sense and spectacular flying dismounts have made him a household name.
Click here for more information.
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August 19th 2004
V-Sol chosen to supply Vehicle Tracking System to EDF Energy
V-Sol are proud to have been chosen to assist in improving the service EDF deliver to their customers with the use of our state of the art Telematics Solutions.
Click here for more information.
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June 16th 2004
Wayne gets on his bike!
In the last few days, intrepid Wayne Howard has set off on his challenge to cycle the entire Tour de France course (the route taken in 2000) on behalf of Rosemere Cancer Foundation (funding cancer care in Lancashire and Cumbria) and his own personal ambition. It will be a journey of
2200 miles in 6 weeks - only twice the time taken by the world's elite cyclists in one of the toughest sporting events there is!
Within the last 2 years, at Wayne's current job within the Training Centre at Hutton, the Constabulary has, sadly, lost two members of staff due to cancer; Constable Mark Jukes and Inspector Keith Butterworth.
Wayne is dedicating his completion of the Tour de France course to the memory of those colleagues. Wayne says "Everyone knows someone who has been affected by this terrible disease and, on my retirement, I wanted to use my sporting background to put something back into Lancashire".
Consequently, the proceeds of Wayne's sponsored charity ride are going to go to the Rosemere Cancer Foundation which does such a sterling job funding cancer care throughout Lancashire and Cumbria.
More information about Wayne's Tour, and a live tracking feed on his progress, can be found here.
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May 19th 2004
Thames Challenge II back on!
The Challenge II is planned to take place on Friday 21st/Saturday 22nd May. There are now 5 taking part, 4 rowing at any one time and one person coxing. The start will be at 6.00am on the Friday, timed to take advantage of the tides once we reach Richmond. The finish should be at about 12.00 mid day on Saturday.
We have sourced a different boat, to take the extra rowers, which was picked up on Sunday. Due to the increased speed that the rowers will be doing, there will not be a support boat on the non tidal Thames. However, the rowers will be joined by a launch at Richmond for the more dangerous section.
The Thames Challenge Web site can be found here.
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May 5th 2004
V-SOL tracks the Gumball 3000 Rally!
Follow the progress of Mark Shaw and Rob Andrew as they compete in this year's Gumball 3000 Rally from Paris to Cannes in their V-SOL-equipped, Chevrolet-powered Range Rover!
The rally was inspired by the Cannonball Run movie, British entrepreneur Maximillian Cooper conceived of a multi-day, 3000+ mile rally across Europe in 1999. The rally has taken place annually ever since, and this year the 6th annual Gumball 3000 takes place from Paris to Cannes via Madrid, Marbella Casablanca, Marrakech, back into Spain for the Barcelona Grand Prix, and finishing in Cannes for the Film Festival.
Click here for more information.
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April 30th 2004
Smart Cars, Smart Business, Smart tracking...
Murrays Health Care based in the West Midlands have introduced a new service to the area that is helping people save time and money and once again V-SOL are proud to have been chosen to provide the Vehicle Tracking Technology to assist in the process.
People who need prescriptions quickly will be saved time and money thanks to three pharmacies in Worcester combining together. Barbourne Pharmacy, Barbourne Road, Archibald Cowe Chemists in Sidbury, and St John's Pharmacy, St John's, now operate under the umbrella of Murrays Healthcare. This means Murrays will be able to give Worcester complete coverage for the collection and delivery of NHS and private prescriptions. Click here for more information.
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February 26th 2004
Thames Challenge update 2
The practice that took place on February 22nd went very well. The team rowed for about 7.5 hours and covered the practice distance in a shorter time than projected. The date for the row is still the 16th April, with a 10.00pm start. This means that we should finish at about 12.00 mid day on Sunday 18th. So far £7,000 has been raised and that is rising daily. The Thames Challenge Web site can be found here.
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January
18th 2004
Thames
Challenge update 1
The
scheduled test run for the Thames Challenge attempt has been rescheduled
due to the abnormal flow and level of the river Thames and continued "Red Alert" status. The
test run has been rescheduled for 22nd February 2004.
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December 23rd 2003
V-SOL
supports the Thames Challenge
Three
members of Bedford rowing club are planning to set a Guiness World
Record by rowing the entire length of the navigable river Thames.
The
challenge set is to complete the 187 miles from Letchdale in Gloucestershire
to Southend Pier, Essex in record time. The row is planned to start
at 10.00pm on the 16th April 2004 and finish around mid day on the
18th April 2004.
The
attempt is a significant challenge: there are 44 locks on the upper
Thames which need to be negotiated with the help of a land based
support team who will manage the locks with the aid of the local
lock keeper. Once into the tidal Thames the team hope to use the
tidal flow to help progress down to the wider Thames where the rowers
will be required to row against the tide to reach the finishing
mark at Southend Pier.
Navigating
through the various river traffic will represent some problems,
support boats will be involved to help in this aspect as well as
providing essentials to the challenge crew.
The
challenge team contacted V-SOL to provide a gps tracking device
which could be fitted to the main rowing boat. this would not only
allow the boat to be tracked and located remotely but would also
provide independant verifiable data through the V-SOL system that
will be used as supporting evidence for the Guiness World Record
attempt.
The
Thames Challenge Web site can be found here.
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October 13th 2003
V-SOL Head Office Management Tools Released
This
month sees the release of the latest version of V-SOL Head Office
Management Tools.
David Isom, Managing Director reports:
"All our vehicle tracking system customers are now able to
benefit from the latest advances in GPS data management thinking
led by the V-SOL team."
Alan Potter, Managing Director of Roalco Limited Colchester:
"With the new Head Office System we are seeing further improvements
in productivity. We finished paying for our vehicle tracking system
over a year ago. V-SOL's promise to deliver on long term value is
fantastic and we have been informed that there are even more advances
on the way."
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September 1st 2003
New Generation of Telematics Systems exceed expectations
V-SOL
announced today September 1 2003 that trials of their New Generation
of Telematics Systems have exceeded expectations and are now bringing
forward the release date to October 2003. Formerly known as Vehicle
Solutions (UK) Limited the original V-SOL system was the first Tracking
System in Europe to offer true live real time tracking via GSM as
long ago as 1997. V-SOL NewGen has been under development since
1999 and been in test since the middle of 2001.
The design brief was that the new platform should be chameleon in
character. V-SOL NewGen has many new innovations never before seen
in Telematics. Central to the products power is an all new real
time software kernel. Predicative Data retention is a key part of
the V-SOL NewGen. For high security applications V-SOL are able
to offer INTELLIQUAD. A world first in Telematics INTELLIQUAD utilises
microprocessor controlled High Q Microwave RF switching to provide
maximum visibility at all times. The V-SOL NewGen base station technology
breaks new barriers for performance and running costs with Live
Real Time Live Tracking costs as little as 1p.
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Vehicle
tracking system forum
V-SOL
have now launched a vehicle tracking system forum on the web site.
The forum gives people an opportunity to pose questions about vehicle
tracking and discuss their experiences and situations.
Please
take a look at the forum using the link below.
Vehicle
tracking system forum
Thursday
3rd July 2003
V-SOL
adapt their vehicle tracking system to help local school win rocket
competition and trip to the "Space Olympics 2003" in Russia. Full story
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HEATHROW
BRINKS MAT MULTI-MILLION CASH ROBBERY
V-SOL ASSIST FLYING SQUAD (THE SWEENEY)
The V-SOL Telematics Systems Assists a Flying Squad Successful
Prosecution
The Metropolitan Police have written to us to thank us for our cooperation
and assistance in the prosecution of Five people. A total of 25½ years imprisonment was the result of the case than concluded after
a long investigation.
The data download from a V-SOL vehicle tracking system provided
the evidence that, when presented to the accused led them to admit
to the robbery.
The V-SOL vehicle tracking system is the only commercial tracking
system in the world with intelligent data management technology
(Traffic Light ™) This allows us to guarantee the accuracy
of the reports. It is for this reason that we are often called upon
to assist the police on occasions when vehicles fitted with our
tracking systems are involved in crimes.
The money taken in the robbery was successfully recovered.
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Last
Sunday a lorry fitted with a V-SOL vehicle tracking device was stolen
in Somerset, The vehicle was fully loaded.
V-SOL
were contacted and asked to help, we were able to locate the vehicle
and download the historical data. This information revealed that
the vehicle had traveled to Droitwich. It had stopped for some time
before traveling on to a location close to J9 of the M5 where it
was abandoned.
The
police were provided with all the details. Using the historical
data provided, they were able to identify the exact location the
cargo had been unloaded.
The
cargo and vehicle were recovered intact. Thanks to the V-SOL vehicle
tracking system the recovered cargo was still delivered on time.
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