Vodacom Business and Toyota extend Wi-Fi, telematics solution to SMEs 

3rd November 2021 By: Irma Venter - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Vodacom Business and Toyota extend Wi-Fi, telematics solution to SMEs 

The Web-based tool MyToyota Fleet Lite has been added to the Toyota Connect hub as part of a tripartite agreement between Vodacom Business, Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) and Netstar.

“Keeping businesses connected is critical in today’s environment and Fleet Lite, being an innovative Wi-Fi solution meets this need,” says Vodacom Business IoT managing executive Pavesh Govender.

“It gives small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners a real-time, secure and digitally connected way to manage up to 50 vehicles by logging in on the MyToyota App and requesting Fleet Lite.”

"MyToyota Fleet Lite enables fleet managers to access a myriad of convenience, connectivity and safety benefits,” adds Future Toyota VP John Thomson.

“From the comfort of their offices, fleet managers are now able to activate Wi-Fi and top up in-car data, as well as monitor driver behaviour, trips and receive alerts to simplify the management of their fleet at no additional cost to the fleet owner. 

“This forms part of an important drive to deliver additional value to all our customers by offering convenience beyond product as part of your ownership experience.”

In order to activate Fleet Lite, an SME owner needs to log in to www.toyota.co.za/my-toyota/fleet-lite and follow the how to guide.  

Once a customer gives consent, Fleet Lite’s digital logbook will automatically start tracking any connected vehicle’s mileage and service history.

Drivers will also have access to a GPS locator with allocation of business and personal trips; a battery health check tool that displays current battery status; and in-car Wi-Fi.

The in-car Wi-Fi feature has proven especially useful for SMEs, especially for any business activity that needs to be conducted on-the-go, such as real-time courier logistics or immediate invoicing after job completion at a site.

SME fleet owners can also access the driver behaviour feature to analyse a driver's cornering, braking, speeding and accelerating for proactive performance management of drivers. 

SME owners can also manage and create alerts on the Fleet Lite website to be notified about their drivers' actions, such as speeding.

Fleet Lite's GPS locator can also be used to track stationary or moving vehicles in real time in proximity to a location, which is useful when managing schedules and assigning tasks. 

The ability to create geo-zones that monitor where cars operate is also an added benefit for SME fleet owners, who can set up alerts to be notified when one of their cars exit a zone.