June 6, 2014
São Paulo, Brasil – November 26, 2012 – Numbers released recently by the São Paulo Government Security Department shows that car theft is still climbing in Brazil. According to the Department, eleven cars are stolen every hour only in São Paulo. Because of that, Telit Wireless Solutions, a leading global vendor of high-quality machine-to-machine (M2M) modules and value-added services, is citing South Africa as an example that Brazil should follow. According to Cyril Zeller, Telit’s Senior Sales Director, Global Telematics Segment, "that African country, which also belongs to the BRICS, economic block, and economically on the rise, has made significant advances reducing car theft".
For Zeller, the most notable difference is that in South Africa there is a wider adoption of vehicle tracking technology. For comparison, according to data provided by Telit Wireless Solution, while in Brazil only 0.5% of the total fleet has some kind of tracking device, in South Africa 27% of vehicles in use are monitored. For Cyril Zeller, this difference is explained by the fact that here in Brazil industry remains waiting for government regulatory action while, "in the African country, private initiative already knows the benefits of implementing such system".
"In South Africa, insurance companies require customers to install tracking devices in their vehicles before writing a contract". Zeller explains that the benefits go beyond increasing vehicle recovery rates and decreasing car theft, but tracking devices also help insurance companies establish user profiles, and start charging costumers according to car usage. "If the customer drives at night, or in higher risk areas, or even parks the vehicle inappropriately, this makes the price of the insurance premium higher and more appropriate with that use of the vehicle, which also means fairer prices for less risky customers".
According to Ricardo Buranello, Telit’s Latin America Director, Brazil already has the technology necessary to implement sophisticated tracking systems. "Spin_JAMM, a product from SpinCom, a developer of tracking solutions via mobile networks, for example, detects the presence of jammers and emits a visual and audible alarm that alerts drivers and law-enforcement when they come near this type of device, securing precious seconds and minutes that can save lives and valuable cargo", explained the director. "This is just one of many such examples of theft-deterrent systems that could help lower stolen vehicles statistics in Brazil".
Industry’s only pure-play m2m, Telit creates value by partnering with customers to provide expert guidance and support from concept development through to manufacturing quickly bringing ideas to market in all application areas including the new "smart" space. With service enhanced products in cellular, short-range, and satellite-navigation easily bundled through high-level software interfaces, Telit-powered m2m devices cost less to integrate, maintain, operate, and update with lower price points for bundled products and savings translating into competitive advantage at the time of sale and throughout the operating life of the customer device.