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It’s no secret that fuel costs are rising, and companies are looking for ways to cut down on their fuel bills. Some are putting hybrid or electric vehicles in their fleets and others are taking advantage of telematics technology to provide them with data to help decrease fuel consumption or both. But for companies that wish to implement both of these strategies, things have always been a bit tricky. Now, however, a Geotab has developed a truly plug-and-play telematics solution.

A new fleet management system, suitable for all kinds of engines, it headed to market. This solution is truly plug-and-play and is suited to all types of engines. It has a tiny form factor that fits underneath the dashboard and works with reliable GPS technology. Sutherland stated that the solution helps fleet managers understand where fuel is being spent and how best to invest in their assets in the field. Managers can simply log into the software and create alerts or reports.

The technology pays for itself early in each month, as it helps drivers adjust their habits, such as rapid acceleration and speeding, to improve miles per gallon efficiency. An improvement of ½ mpg can result in a $46 per month savings per vehicle. And achieving this change in driver habits is easy, as the technology can send an audio warning to drivers who are engaging in wasteful behavior, causing them to change their bad habits immediately.

This solution comes from Toronto-based Geotab.  This company has a decade of experience creating and deploying telematics technology for business fleets, and it is an end-to-end tech provider with robust hardware that is suited for a broad range of vehicles, including electric, hybrid, diesel and trucks. According to Colin Sutherland, vice president of sales at Geotab, the company’s technology has the ability to understand the way each vehicle uniquely communicates, boiling down the information to a single report. It focuses on helping companies in a number of areas, including fleet safety, efficiency and compliance.

The solution helps fleet managers in other ways as well. For one, it can provide them with predictive maintenance warnings, letting managers know there is an issue before the vehicle’s check engine light comes on. This allows managers to schedule repairs in advance and cuts down on the number of spare vehicles in the fleet. It also helps them determine what materials they need to buy, from spare tires to batteries.

Geotab works closely with Strategic Telecom Solutions, a reseller of Geotab technology and one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. STS has experience working with enterprise clients ranging from companies with 100 employees to Fortune 50 companies. According to Joey Marlow, president and CEO of STS, the company understands the M2M space and cal really help companies connect the dots with technology.

According to Marlow, STS has been working with Sprint (News - Alert) for years, and both STS and Geotab are pleased to be working with the embedded M2M solutions provider with this technology. He said Sprint has a true business-to-business approach and an amazing network that gives a better experience for customers. These two companies, Geotab and STS, along with embedded M2M solutions expert Sprint, are bringing the [CS1] first CDMA device on the Sprint Network.

To find out more about SPRINT, visit the company at ITEXPO West 2012. To be held Oct. 2-5 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX, ITEXPO (News - Alert)  is the world’s largest technology and communications event. Visit SPRINT in booth #1119. For more information on ITEXPO West 2012, click here.