Telefónica has unveiled a new collaboration in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT) with fleet management and car leasing specialist ALD Automotive.

Sporting a snazzy new logo since Friday, the Spanish group said Telefónica Tech and its partner Geotab are to develop a connected car product for ALD that will be deployed in Europe and Latin America, starting with 12 countries in 2021.

Telefónica Tech encompasses the group's IoT, big data, blockchain, cloud and cyber security activities, while Geotab specializes in IoT and connected mobility.

Figure 1: Brand new: Telefónica chairman José María Álvarez-Pallete unveils the operator's new logo. (Source: Telefónica)

The Telefónica unit seems to have taken over the partnership that was originally formed between Telefónica and Geotab in 2014.

The initial focus was on the development of joint telematics products in Germany, Spain and the UK, with plans to expand to Latin America in the future. At the time, Telefónica said its aim was to extend its fleet management offer to cover the international needs of clients.

Fleet elite

The two partners have previously announced connected car and fleet management contracts with Sixt Leasing, Europcar Mobility Group and Ferrovial Services, to name three publicly announced deals. Telefónica has also used Geotab services for its own fleet management in Spain.

The two partners have now been tasked by ALD Automotive to design a fleet management product including device, connectivity and a telematics platform. The aim of the product is to provide key data such as GPS location, accelerometer and vehicle electronics unit data.

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Although the partners indicated that the product will be launched in 12 countries initially, there is clearly potential for more markets to be added. ALD Automotive said it manages more than 1.76 million vehicles in 43 countries.

Álvaro Martínez Robles, head of procurement at ALD Automotive, said Telefónica Tech and Geotab would be among its preferred providers "to help us optimize our connected fleet solution for corporate and SME fleets."

Ivan Lequerica, Geotab's vice president for Southwest Europe, said the company's products now connect more than 2.2 million vehicles.

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— Anne Morris, contributing editor, special to Light Reading