Digital fleet monitoring, ZF acquires Bestmile’s technology

The global group ZF acquires Bestmile‘s technology, a leading digital solution that automatically optimizes the routing, dispatching, and matching of large fleets of vehicles in real time. It is indeed a further step within ZF’s “New Generation Mobility” strategy addressed to all types of mobility applications and vehicles. The so-called first Mobility Orchestration Platform is expected to provide real-time coordination and management of goods and people transportation on a large scale. Talking about ZF, here’s a recent interview we made to Head of Aftermarket Philippe Colpron.

ZF about the acquisition of Bestmile’s technology

“Today, the transportation eco-system is rapidly changing, with OEMs and fleet operators facing numerous challenges – from competitive pressures to regulatory changes – as they increasingly digitalize and adopt autonomous, connected and electric mobility technologies», said Christian Brenneke, Senior Vice President, Product Engineering with ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Control Systems division. “This pace and diversity of applications has fragmented the transportation industry, creating digital silos, greater complexity and operational inefficiency for fleet management. By incorporating Bestmile’s technology into our Next Generation Mobility strategy, ZF will provide an Orchestration Platform that optimizes the information feeds, complex operational processes and stringent controls required to build and support connected transportation ecosystems“.

Further developments are coming

Following the newly-announced acquisition, developments will introduce a fully automatic, KPI-based planning, routing, scheduling and dispatching solution based on connectivity between onboard technology, fleet optimization and artificial intelligence. This platform will help fleets significantly improve their operational efficiency, sustainability, safety and cargo security. The platform will also ultimately help facilitate fully autonomous mobility and cargo transportation within automated, multi-platform supply chains and logistics networks.

“My team and I are delighted to become part of ZF and take the next steps towards optimizing cargo and people mobility. Our focus has always been to offer fleet operators a one-stop solution for orchestration technology to enable the smart, shared, electric, and autonomous mobility of the future already, today“, added Marco Laumanns, former Chief Technology Officer of Bestmile.