Detroit Connect, Daimler Trucks North America’s suite of connected vehicle services will now allow third party telematics services to be integrated into the platform.

The proprietary Detroit Connect platform, exclusive to the Freightliner new Cascadia, was designed to allow the services of third party providers to be supported via the platform, providing customers the flexibility to work with the partner of their choice as well as eliminating the need to install additional hardware. The integrated services will also be factory installed, which should help reduce the time it takes customers to in-service their vehicles.

“Integrating the services of third party providers onto our Detroit Connect platform is a real game-changer,” said Jason Krajewski, director of connectivity for Daimler Trucks North America. “It provides us the ability to expand our capabilities and push the bounds of the connected vehicle experience.”

Detroit Connect has collaborated with Zonar, making it the first telematics service provider integrated onto the Detroit Connect platform. Starting in April, Zonar offerings will be available on the Detroit Connect Platform allowing customers to access Zonar’s patented telematics technologies, including Ground Traffic Control, Zonar’s web-based fleet management solution without having to install additional hardware on the vehicle.

DTNA and Zonar’s partnership began in 2011, when the companies collaborated to bring Detroit Connect Virtual Technician to market. In 2015, DTNA became a minority investor in Zonar.

The Detroit Connect suite of connected vehicle services also includes Detroit Connect Virtual Technician, Analytics and Remote Updates, which now includes firmware over-the-air updates.

“We will continue to collaborate on future telematics services, through our ongoing partnership, toward a joint vision of providing fleets with connected systems that deliver actionable insights, and improve safety, maintenance, and efficiency throughout the trucking industry,” said Gary Schmidt, vice president of business solutions at Zonar.