"I expect 2016 to be a bumper year," says Steven Hendey, recently appointed CEO at Real Telematics. "Despite the rumours and warnings of tough times ahead, economically and politically, I truly believe that with the range of products we have to offer the market, as well as our ongoing R&D that we will weather the storm and emerge stronger, leaner and more entrenched than ever before. It's hard to argue with the facts," says
John Valentine, Director at Real Telematics.

"Real FMX, our forklift management system, has emerged as a world-class product that is starting to achieve success internationally as well as locally. We get approached by various international and local parties almost on a monthly basis," says Valentine. "Although it's very flattering that our company is garnering so much attention, we continue to stick to our core values and align ourselves only with partners with whom we can see effective synergy and adherence to similar ethics and standards. This ensures that our offering and quality is not diluted. We would rather take a little longer to achieve global penetration with the right partners than risk having our name tarnished with unsuitable collaborations."

Real FMX installed on a forklift

"Indeed, since our humble beginnings as a Run Hour supplier to a local OES with an international footprint, we can now offer up to 47 features, reports and monitoring points, a number that climbs every year. The market talks, we listen and react accordingly," says Valentine. "We believe that our ability to fit Real FMX to any brand on the face of the planet is a major edge, and one that we continue to enhance every time we add a new Dealer to our portfolio. Additionally, since we are independently owned, new Dealers feel safe that we treat their information with integrity."

Features offered by Real FMX

"Increasingly we now see customers taking advantage of the fact that our product is modular. Basically our customers choose what they are prepared to pay for and that's what we fit. More challenging of course is those areas all over the world where signal coverage (GSM/Satellite) is weak or non -existent. We responded to that by creating a range of Stand-alone Features which do not require signal, meaning that you can have Speed Limiting, Engine Protection, Access Control, Transmission Protection, Battery Cut Out, Starter Motor Protection, either all independently or as a package, without the monthly fees that form part of the live reporting and alerts. However we always recommended the reporting version where possible as this has far more benefits," says Valentine.

"Opinions differ, but there is a stance which says fitting management devices to 'older' machines does not deliver benefit. We tend to disagree, rather vigorously. Real FMX has shown the same benefits on 'older' machines as with 'newer 'machines. The whole point of Real FMX is to reduce wear and tear, improve normal component life cycles and mitigate risk and abuse. In fact, during economically tough times we expect to see an increase in orders, simply because customers tend to hold off on large value orders and sweat assets a little longer, using Real FMX to help them do so."

"Some opinions also say that such devices are only effective on large fleets and again we disagree. Whether you have 1 machine or 10 the savings are exactly the same per machine. In South Africa we see an approximate average of USD 100 to USD 150 or more savings per month ONLY on Fuel and Tyres, not even counting component benefits etc. An astute business person sees the immediate value in that. We now even see Insurers coming to the party, because they are responsible for replacing racking and other damages prevalent in Insurance claims. In the very near future you may see such Insurers insisting on Real FMX."

"Regardless of your opinion or stance on devices such as Real FMX, one thing is for sure. The future moves closer every day bringing with it new challenges. Make REAL savings with a product that can REALLY prove its worth. Put us to the test and get REAL." Says Valentine


Real Telematics
John Valentine
P: +27 82 469 0834
E: email
W: www.realtelematics.com
SF: Real Telematics ShopFront