Nissan Europe is teaming up with Telogis, a Verizon-owned company providing software for fleet management, to create a new service that utilises telematics technology for their commercial customers.

The new service is called NissanConnect and will enable fleet operators to view and analyse their drivers' data by connecting the vehicle to the Telogis' Mobile Resource Management software platform. Viewing this data will then hopefully allow operators to make better informed business decisions

The use of telematics is often implemented as a way of monitoring how well the vehicle has been driven as well as tracking its location. For these reasons, insurance providers tend to market it as a cost-effective solution for drivers, especially young drivers, who want to reduce the price of their premium by proving that they're a responsible driver.

Nissan are hoping that the new service, NissanConnect, will encourage van drivers to remain diligent over their fuel consumption and improve the efficiency of their service. The motoring giant is hoping that this will allow them to keep up with the consumer's ever-increasing demand for a fast, quality delivery service, as well as adapting to vehicle restrictions introduced by major cities. Now that HGVs are increasingly banned from city centres, there is a need for systems which use light commercial vehicles in the most resourceful ways possible.

Phillipe Guerin-Boutard, the corporate vice president for Nissan's Global LCV Business Unit, commented on the benefits he hopes the changes will bring. "The time has come for Nissan commercial customers to benefit from the visibility and operational intelligence they gain from connecting their business. From empowering workers on the road and In the field to help them be safer and more efficient, to optimising daily delivery routes, NissanConnect Fleet will have a transformational effect on the way Nissan customers do business.

The service is expected to launch in Europe at some point this autumn. The van models that will support NissanConnect will be the Navara One Ton pick-up, NV200, e-NV200, and NT400 Cabstar. More vehicles are planned to join the scheme later.

Could services such as NissanConnect become as essential for fleet operators as having reliable commercial van insurance? It will be interesting to see how effective the telematics technology is for commercial vehicles. In the meantime, make sure your fleet of commercial vehicles is properly protected on the road by getting a quote with iVan today.