Matrix gives you the option of buying your tracking product online

South African’s looking to purchase and install a vehicle tracking device, can now do so online, from the comfort of their home or desk, through Matrix. This is the second brand within the MiX Telematics Africa Group to offer this market first.

“As a company focused on delivering innovative offerings to our customers and the market, we are pleased to launch our fully enabled e-commerce site,” says Grant Fraser, director of products and marketing at Mix Telematics Africa. “By simply visiting www.matrix.co.za; and following the 5 easy steps¹, consumers can securely purchase the product of their choice, directly online, as well as choose the fitment centre and date that suits them best for the installation, all through the click of a button.”

“We have also launched a budget payment programme via the online site, giving you a payment programme that is more suited to your monthly budget,” adds Fraser.

E-commerce is growing exponentially, with a recent report by McKinsey & Company stating that e-commerce could account for 10% of retail sales in Africa’s largest economies by 2025². “South Africa is certainly part of this growth, and many of our own customers have indicated that they would prefer to undertake purchases online via a secure site, which we are pleased to give them,” says Fraser.

Matrix has increased its technology innovation for customers over the last few months. The e-commerce site launch follows the recent announcement of the availability of its Mobile App.

Continues Fraser; “Our app is a great extension for customers. Through a Smartphone or Tablet that support IOS or Android, customers  can now receive “harsh” driving alerts, but more importantly, they can instantaneously report if their vehicle has been stolen or if roadside and medical assistance is needed at any time of the day or night, directly from their mobile device. We have also enhanced personal security features within the app, and now users get ‘early warnings’ of vehicle movement. Once ‘early warning’ is enabled, and a customer has parked their vehicle, they able to lock the car position from the app. Any unauthorised movement will result in an alarm being generated to our 24/7 national operation centre and the owner notified immediately.

“From start to finish, the app guarantees peace of mind through real-time feedback on vehicle location, as well as an immediate response in an emergency, in a time where every second counts with regards to your safety. This app, together with our fully enabled ecommerce site, ensures customers can interact with Matrix at their own convenience and time – with ease,” Concludes Fraser.

Notes:

¹ Step 1: select package, Step 2: supply personal details, Step 3: set up direct debit order with banking details, Step 4: Select fitment centre, Step 5: Processing of an upfront account initiation fee*

²http://www.africa-ontherise.com/category/editorials/page/3/

About MiX Telematics

MiX Telematics is a leading global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions delivered as SaaS to customers in over 120 countries. The company’s products and services provide enterprise fleets, small fleets and consumers with solutions for safety, efficiency, compliance and security. MiX Telematics was founded in 1996 and has offices in South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uganda, Brazil, Australia and the United Arab Emirates as well as a ne2rk of more than 130 fleet partners world-wide. MiX Telematics shares are publicly traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE: MIX) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MIXT).

Matrix gives you the option of buying your tracking product online

XL Launches Major Auto Product Line, Taps Miller to Lead

XL Group’s excess & surplus (E&S) insurance coverage is adding principal auto capabilities to its item line and has added Andrew Miller as underwriting manager to lead this enterprise.

According to John Goodloe, president of XL Group’s E&S organization, the company has seen considerable achievement and profitable growth in its excess auto business and, as such, is extending its capacity and new underwriting capabilities to address clients’ main auto insurance demands.

Miller joins XL Group’s Chicago workplace with a lot more than a dozen years of transportation insurance coverage market expertise, most lately as an underwriting manager with Vanliner Insurance Co., a division of National Interstate. In his new part, he will be responsible for launching XL Group’s E&S principal auto item line.

Miller will report to Michael Gramm, vice president of Excess Casualty, E&S.
“Initially, in a restricted launch to partner brokers, we’ll roll out our new major auto coverage to our target markets that consist of a range of transportation dangers which includes trucking, public auto, industrial auto dangers,” stated Miller.

He added XL will steadily ramp up its primary auto operation.

XL Group’s new E&S principal auto coverage is offered on an occurrence-primarily based following form policy with limits up to $ 1.5 million. XL Group’s principal auto operation also has the capacity to issue MCS-90 endorsements and post required filings.

XL Launches Major Auto Product Line, Taps Miller to Lead

XL Launches Major Auto Product Line, Taps Miller to Lead

XL Group’s excess & surplus (E&S) insurance is adding main auto capabilities to its solution line and has added Andrew Miller as underwriting manager to lead this business.

According to John Goodloe, president of XL Group’s E&S company, the organization has seen considerable good results and lucrative growth in its excess auto organization and, as such, is extending its capacity and new underwriting capabilities to address clients’ main auto insurance coverage demands.

Miller joins XL Group’s Chicago office with a lot more than a dozen years of transportation insurance coverage sector experience, most lately as an underwriting manager with Vanliner Insurance Co., a division of National Interstate. In his new role, he will be responsible for launching XL Group’s E&S primary auto product line.

Miller will report to Michael Gramm, vice president of Excess Casualty, E&S.
“Initially, in a limited launch to partner brokers, we’ll roll out our new principal auto coverage to our target markets that contain a range of transportation dangers which includes trucking, public auto, industrial auto dangers,” mentioned Miller.

He added XL will progressively ramp up its main auto operation.

XL Group’s new E&S main auto coverage is available on an occurrence-based following kind policy with limits up to $ 1.5 million. XL Group’s principal auto operation also has the capability to problem MCS-90 endorsements and post necessary filings.

XL Launches Major Auto Product Line, Taps Miller to Lead

All-new Volvo XC90 – first Volvo built on the company’s new Scalable Product Architecture

Volvo’;s all-new XC90 – which will be revealed in 2 weeks’; time in Stockholm – will be the first car in its range built on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) modular chassis technology developed in-house by Volvo Cars.

SPA has been under in-house development at Volvo for the past 4 years and is the cornerstone of the company’;s ongoing USD 11bn transformation plan. This revolutionary platform will be introduced on the all-new Volvo XC90 and then rolled out across the Volvo’;s future product range.

The benefits of SPA are 2fold. First, SPA allows Volvo’;s engineers and designers a lot more freedom and flexibility, which means they can increase their scope when it comes to new and alluring design features and at the same time improve driveability, introducing world-first safety features, offering the latest connected car technologies and creating more interior space.

“SPA and the all-new Volvo XC90 are firm evidence of our Volvo-by-Volvo strategy. The all-new Volvo XC90′s outstanding combination of luxury, space, versatility, efficiency and safety will bring the SUV segment into a new dimension, just as Volvo’;s original XC90 did in 2002,” says Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research and Development of Volvo Car Group.

Secondly, SPA will change the way Volvo builds cars in future by allowing a wide range of cars, powertrains, electrical systems and technologies – all of differing complexity – to be fitted on the same architecture, generating significant economies of scale.

“SPA gives us a fresh technological start. Around 90 per cent of the components in the all-new Volvo XC90 and upcoming models are new and unique. We are raising the bar to the very top of the premium league when it comes to the level of quality and technology in every vital area,” says Dr Mertens.

Liberating technology

More freedom for designers

With SPA, previous design limitations in areas such as wheelbase, overhang, vehicle height and the height of the front are a thing of the past.

“This creates greater freedom for us to design cars with a confident stance, dynamic proportions and a number of distinctive design signatures. Our 3 recent concept cars have demonstrated this capability. Even though the all-new Volvo XC90 is an entirely different type of car, you will recognise the connection instantly when it is revealed in 2 weeks,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design of Volvo Car Group.

Outstanding driving pleasure and flexibility

Volvo’;s new SPA chassis technology reduces weight and improves weight distribution, improving driving pleasure without compromising on ride comfort.

SPA also allows for far more flexibility inside the car. The all-new Volvo XC90 features innovatively designed seats that free up interior space for passengers in the second and third rows, helping make the all-new Volvo XC90 a genuine and luxurious 6-seater.

The sliding function on all seats in the second row can be used to create more legroom for passengers in the third row – or to increase loading capacity. The seats in the third row offer class-leading comfort for passengers up to 170 cm tall.

“SPA has enabled us to create the world’;s first no-compromise SUV,” says Dr Mertens. “You get the agility of a much smaller and lower car, an in-command feel and generous interior space, plus an adrenaline rush delivered by powertrains that offer an unrivalled combination of power and low emissions. Of course, it carries the Volvo badge, meaning world-class safety is standard.”

Unrivalled combination of power and fuel efficiency

The all-new Volvo XC90 offers a range of Drive-E engine options, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel-efficiency. This modular family of 2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel and petrol engines has several levels of turbocharging to cover the whole range from high power and torque variants to fuel-efficient versions.

The top-of-the-range Volvo XC90 T8 ‘Twin Engine’; combines a 2-litre, 4-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and offers an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation – around 290kW and 630 Nm of torque with carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions of around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle).

SPA is also able to integrate electrification at all levels without intruding on interior space or load space. Other carmakers have struggled to combine the bulk of a battery pack with a luxurious and spacious interior, something that Volvo has managed to overcome with SPA.

Improved safety without compromises

SPA helps make it possible for Volvo to bolster the company’;s world-leading reputation for safety even further without compromising on design, size or w7 Thanks to the extensive use of high-strength boron steel, vehicles built on SPA can be made more compact and safer at the same time.

SPA also includes an innovative electrical architecture that elevates the car’;s intelligence level significantly. It is designed to make it easy to integrate new technology within fast-moving areas such as microprocessor, sensor and camera technology. This facilitates the introduction of new accident-preventing safety solutions, and enables rapid introduction of new multimedia and connectivity options.

“We have created a single nerve system with full control over all the connections in the vehicle. This is unique in the industry,” says Dr Mertens.

Industrial benefits

In addition to the significant product-related advantages of Volvo’;s scalable architecture there are also industrial benefits.

SPA allows Volvo to develop a model range consisting of cars based on the same joint modules and interfaces, scalable systems and components that are all built on flexible production line. This means all Volvo models from the 60-cluster upwards can be built on the same production line irrespective of complexity.

The new face of Volvo: ‘Thor’;s Hammer’; running lights

Today, for the first time, Volvo is revealing images of the front end or ‘face’; of the all-new Volvo XC90 SUV, which is distinguished by its T-shaped running lights, christened ‘Thor’;s Hammer’; by the design team after the shape of the hammer used by the famous Norse god of thunder Thor.

“Anyone who looks in their rear-view mirror is going to know immediately that there is a new Volvo XC90 behind them,” says Mr Ingenlath. “The all-new Volvo XC90 is a car that has incredible presence on the road.”

All-new Volvo XC90 – first Volvo built on the company’s new Scalable Product Architecture