Fleets that want to provide drivers with ruggedized mobile devices, instead of having them use their own smartphones or rely on in-vehicle computers, are the target of the next phase of a collaboration between Platform Science, an internet-of-things fleet management platform, and Samsung Electronics.

Combining Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Active line with Platform Science’s Remote Platform Management (RPM) products, fleets can turn these devices into customized computing tools, managing devices, apps data, and vehicle data.

RPM allows fleets to deploy the right applications to individual drivers and devices at any time and ensures that they are paired with the right vehicles, with each application hosted either locally or in the cloud.

Fleet managers also have the tools to integrate and share data between apps used on individual driver devices and tie them into back-end systems and vehicle sensors.

“While mobile usage expands capabilities of fleets and drivers, the increase in mobile devices and apps being used results in a more fragmented data and user experience,” said Jake Fields, co-founder and CTO of Platform Science. “We built a Fleet MDM focused on the transportation sector to strengthen a fleet’s operations through the easy management of driver tablets, the apps on those tablets and the interaction they both have with vehicle and driver.”

Samsung tablets are purpose-built for transportation, able to withstand the elements, while being light, mobile and intuitive, according to the company.

One fleet that's already in the process of rolling out this new system is Werner Enterprises, which is implementing both Samsung tablets and Platform Science's RPM functionality in its new, tablet-based telematics solution, Edge Connect. The platform will allow easy deployment of new applications and services that support Werner's specific business needs, meet evolving compliance requirements, and enhance the overall driver experience. (HDT named Werner's Danny Lilley an HDT Truck Fleet Innovator this year for his spearheading of this project.)