Cars That Tweet: #servicing_required
PoolCar, an Australian fleet software startup, sees a future where every corporate fleet vehicle has its own Twitter account.
The company's software engineers have created an in-car Android device that tweets the vehicle’s location, speed, and CO2 output in real time. The in-car device knows when the next service is due and based on current mileage can ‘hash-tag’ a work order request for servicing and maintenance.
"It’s all part of our Fleet Analytics platform," says Kurt Lingohr, Founder of the Aussie startup.
Based on the vehicle’s current heading, servers tweet to the car traffic congestion and route suggestions for display on an optional dash-mounted screen. When it is time to refuel, servers can tweet the cheapest fuel price based on the GPS location and day of week. "We’re very fortunate to be standing at the intersection of the Twitter messaging API, 3G networks, and Android mobile computing." says Lingohr.
Based near Melbourne, Australia, PoolCar's self-professed mission is to organize the world’s vehicle fleets. The company's system frames vehicles as utilities, not assets, thereby shifting focus to utilization.