Vodacom, Toyota, Netstar Debut MyToyota Fleet Solution

A web-based tool called MyToyota Fleet Lite has been added to the Toyota Connect hub. This is another Africa-first offering for connected-car services launched in a tripartite agreement between Vodacom Business, Toyota South Africa Motors and Netstar.

"Keeping businesses connected is critical in today's environment and Fleet Lite, being an innovative Wi-Fi solution meets this need. 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,” says Pavesh Govender, Managing Executive for IoT at Vodacom Business Govender.

This free online tool is activated through the MyToyota app. The connected feature has been a standard feature on new Toyota models since September 2019. For SME owners who rely on a small fleet of vehicles to run their business – this could be a plumber or electrician doing on-site calls, or the owner of a school-lift business or a small ride-hailing fleet– this complimentary PC based solution takes business management to a whole new, streamlined level of success.

"MyToyota Fleet Lite enables fleet managers to access a myriad of convenience, connectivity, and safety benefits. 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. We are proud to be able to now introduce these features to small businesses across South Africa”, says John Thomson, Vice President for Future Toyota.

Business-savvy benefits at no extra cost

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

Once a customer gives consent, Fleet Lite's Digital Logbook will start automatically tracking any connected vehicle's mileage and service history, which is handy for tax-submission purposes. 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. For fleet owners, customers in their cars can now connect to the Wi-Fi, which is a great perk but the benefits extend beyond that. For any business activity that needs to be conducted on the go – think about real-time courier logistics or immediate invoicing after job completion at a site – having Wi-Fi at the driver's fingertips is crucial.

SME fleet owners can access the Driver Behaviour Feature to analyse a driver's cornering, braking, speeding, and accelerating for proactive performance management of drivers. To keep on top of things, 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 handy for managing schedules and assigning tasks. The ability to create geo zones that monitor where cars operate is an added benefit for SME fleet owners, who can set up alerts to be notified when one of their cars exit a zone.

"SMEs behind the wheel need to embrace connected-tech solutions to drive business success in today's digitally led society. Vodacom Business and its partners are helping SMEs do just that, taking them further together, thanks to the connectivity and convenience extended to drivers through the MyToyota Fleet Lite solution,” says Govender.