Aliso Viejo-based Telogis Inc. is partnering with Ford Motor Co. to develop software that aims to improve law enforcement driving practices and public safety.
The Ford Telematics Law Enforcement Edition, available early next year, gathers data used to track police response time and presence in a neighborhood; to alter call routing; or to adjust dispatches.
The data is transmitted to a central reporting system that details vehicle performance, maintenance, and driver behavior that can be improved with coaching and training.
The location-based technology collects a variety of data, including information on acceleration, braking and seat belt use, as well as vehicle data, such as fuel use and percentage of oil life.
The software includes advanced custom alerts and provides reporting scorecards that show more accurate patterns of driving behavior in real-world law enforcement scenarios.
Car-related incidents are the No. 1 cause of police deaths, accounting for 46 of 103 reported deaths last year, according to Officer Down Memorial Page Inc.
In 2011, Ford became Telogis’ first flagship customer, embedding telematic software in its line of commercial trucks and vans that allows fleet customers to manage vehicles remotely. Telogis also partnered with Ford to provide real-time driver and vehicle data for the Ford Police Interceptors Sedan and Police Interceptor Utility. The company recently secured a small strategic investment from Detroit-based private equity firm Fontinalis Partners LLC., cofounded by Ford Executive Chairman William Clay Ford.
Growth Fueled
Newport Beach-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp. signed a joint venture with Mansfield Energy Corp. in Georgia to provide natural-gas fueling services to bulk fuel haulers in the U.S. The first customer, Mansfield Oil Co., will fuel its fleet of 12 heavy-duty compressed natural-gas trucks at an Atlanta-area station built by Clean Energy that’s expected to open this month. A second station in Tampa, Fla., is expected to open early next year.
Clean Energy also extended a five-year deal to supply about 2.5 million gallons of compressed natural gas and diesel gallon equivalents annually to more than 200 of Illinois-based Dillon Transport Inc.’s fleet of 500 trucks. It plans to open stations in Houston; Midland, Texas; and West Atlanta, Ga., to meet demand.
The company recently disclosed third-quarter revenue that topped $103.4 million and a net loss of $25.8 million, beating Wall Street expectations.
Servicing the Spirit World
Fountain Valley-based D-Link Systems Inc. got into the Halloween spirit by giving away 20 refurbished D-Link Wi-Fi cameras to consumers hoping to catch paranormal activity on video.
The winners of the HD Pan & Tilt Wi-Fi Camera or the HD Outdoor Wi-Fi Camera were selected after submitting their ghost-hunting plans and apparition stories on D-Link’s website.
The promotion was part of a larger initiative to encourage users to incorporate the company’s cameras, smart plug and motion sensors into Halloween fun, like automating decor or electrical props, triggering fog machines, playing music and turning lights on and off.
D-Link is the North American unit of D-Link Corp. in Taiwan, which generates about $1 billion in annual sales.
