Thales Telematics’ fleet management solution
helped in the remarkably rapid recovery of a
Vauxhall Vivaro Van after it was stolen from
outside premises in St Pancras, London. The
vehicle, owned by Thameside Fire Protection,
was taken at approximately 11:30 on the 24th
February. But with the assistance of Thales
Telematics, the vehicle was located and safely
retrieved minutes later by the police, providing
dramatic vindication of Thameside Fire Protection’s
decision to choose the Thales system to protect
its personnel and manage its fleet of vehicles.
The driver immediately contacted the police
as well as Thales Telematics and the stolen
vehicle was very soon being pursued. Thales
Telematics uses a combination of GPS and GSM
technology, with street-level mapping to pinpoint
and follow the exact position, speed and direction
of a vehicle within metres. The police were
informed of the van’s location and the
vehicle was found and recovered minutes later,
parked and fortunately for the thief, unoccupied.
Managing Director, John Allen for Thameside
Fire Protection said: “We are extremely
pleased and impressed with the speed of the
recovery due to the very rapid response of both
Thales and the police. We were able to recover
the van within minutes, saving us a considerable
amount of time and effort, not to mention the
disruption that would have been caused to our
cutomers. Our service engineers were able to
return to the site they were working at and
complete their programmed work for the day.”
Thales provides a growing number of UK and
European fleet operators with a broad range
of vehicle telematics and mobile communications
services. Customers now include: Ford, Allied
Pickfords, Parcelforce Worldwide, Smiths Distribution,
Avis Imperial, Dart Group PLC, Hewlett-Packard,
Chubb, Unifleet, Anglian Construction, Lee &
Plumpton, and Oxfordshire County Council.
About Thameside Fire Protection
Thameside Fire Protection is one of the UK’s
largest independent Fire Protection companies,
covering all areas of Fire Protection including;
design, installation and maintenance of Fire
Alarms, Sprinklers, Fire Extinguishers, Breathing
Apparatus and Passive Building work. The company
has all relevant trade and quality approvals
including; ISO/9001, BAFE, FETA, LPC 1048 and
DNV. Thameside is a progressive company with
long-term contracts across all levels of commerce,
industry and public services. Enquiries are
welcomed on 01268 591059 or visit our web site
at: www.thamesidefire.co.uk
About Thales and Thales Telematics:
Thales is a world leader in professional electronics
in three key markets: Aerospace, Defence and
Information Technology & Services (IT&S).
The Group employs 60,000 people in nearly 50
countries worldwide, and generated revenues
of over €11 billion in 2002.
Thales Telematics is committed to the development,
marketing and distribution of in-vehicle and
mobile communications solutions. Its award-winning
fleet management system - using a combination
of GPS and GSM technology - enables vehicle
operators to access a broad range of telematics
services, enabling them to monitor the activities
of their mobile resources to achieve optimum
effectiveness and efficiency.