Fidelity SecureDrive, the vehicle tracking and recovery offering from Fidelity Services Group, has been awarded VESA (Motor Vehicle Security Association of South Africa) accreditation.
VESA’s function is to provide the vehicle security industry with quality and safe-to-use vehicle security devices, to ensure quality standards within the manufacturing and installation industry and to monitor the implementation thereof. VESA informs the VESA Installation Centre members and insurance industry of all approved and accredited products and services.
Wahl Bartmann, CEO of Fidelity Services Group, says the VESA accreditation opens up our product to be on-boarded with all insurance companies which is good for our security customers. “We are proud that VESA, as the acknowledged regulator for the tracking and telematics industry, has given our product the green light.”
Bartmann says while he appreciates that some insurance companies have exclusive arrangements with particular tracking companies, this will open up freedom of choice for the consumer, something which the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) mandates as part of its Treating Customers Fairly regulations.
All VESA members are required to submit monthly recovery stats which are collated and published. VESA also audits these stats from time to time.
Last year, Fidelity announced its exclusive partnership with Amber Connect combining world-class technology with a massive local South African footprint in terms of vehicle installations, technical support and vehicle recoveries. Bartmann says Fidelity SecureDrive is the only company that has a mobile application with an assist feature, where national response is provided through Fidelity’s resources. “On the service side we are the only vehicle tracking company in the country to have the support of 55 000 staff and a fleet of over 5 000 vehicles countrywide that can respond. Many other service providers are required to outsource the service entirely, while we have dual in source and outsource capability,” says Bartmann. The product is also one of the smallest telematics devices in the world and is the only product in South Africa that comes standard with a global SIM that operates seamlessly in more than 145 countries.
The Fidelity ADT and Fidelity Security fleets are all fitted with Fidelity SecureDrive. The product was first launched in the fleet sector and is now making strong inroads in the domestic market.
“We are confident that there is a demand for this product and the latest VESA accreditation will drive growth even faster,” he concludes.