Modern solutions, advanced technology: How Remote Platform Management creates efficiencies at Platform Science

As the trucking industry undergoes a technological evolution, enterprise fleets face the mounting challenges associated with installing modern technologies in their trucks. To keep up with the shifting landscape, fleets must make their drivers’ lives as efficient as possible by helping them balance and oversee various on-board devices and technologies. 

Third-party mobile device management (MDM) systems have traditionally been used to track and trace vehicles’ ever-expanding technologies while ensuring their devices work together seamlessly. The software in those devices also needs to be managed by other third-party mobile application management (MAM) systems.

With numerous software and hardware components—including electronic driving logs, daily workflows, and other administrative tasks—needed for the job, ensuring each device is up to date and functional can be a challenge.
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Mobile Device Management for transportation

Keeping up with the ongoing maintenance, management, and updates required by these systems presented Platform Science (specifically our Release Manager, Johnny Gallagher) with a unique opportunity. To simplify the complex process of managing each fleet, its devices, and applications—and ensuring they’re all up to date and smoothly operating—we developed Remote Platform Management (RPM), the first fleet MDM specifically designed for the transportation sector.

RPM gives enterprise-level fleets the flexibility and control they need to manage all their devices and technologies on a single, streamlined solution. It also eliminates the need for an additional third-party MDM service, making it easier for fleets to manage their devices and applications on sales calls, dock floors, in drivers’ cabs, and anywhere else the road takes them. 

Life before Remote Platform Management

‍Prior to launching RPM, our development team had to contact our release team when a release was ready for publishing. After locating the APK, we individually uploaded it to the proper environments and devices. Then, our team sent a release notification to customers informing them of the update. In addition to being extremely tedious, this process proved highly inefficient and created more opportunities for error.

Once we built RPM, however, enabling enterprise fleets to manage the functionality and distribution of their mobile device (MDM) and application management (MAM) systems became much easier for everyone involved. 

“The driver is always at the forefront of each release, update, and application, ensuring their day runs as smoothly as possible.”
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Features, features, features

A recently released RPM feature enables fleets to target specific tablets for publishing new updates and apps based on customizable configurations such as location or operational needs. Top-down visibility and control allow fleets to push updates to individual tablets when drivers are no longer driving, ensuring a safe, secure driving experience unhindered by technology.

Another key RPM feature is stabilization, which secures the uptake rate for tablets downloading new software. This feature considers drivers’ duty statuses and app usage before starting a new download, eliminating potential interruptions to their day and workflow. 

Additional key features: 

• Device Health Monitoring 
• Device Location Monitoring 
• Enterprise Security 
• Device/Asset Location Tracking
  

As more enterprise fleets adopt connected vehicle devices to improve their drivers’ experience and keep their operations moving efficiently, so increases the need for seamless management of those devices, their applications, and the data they use. RPM’s tech-agnostic nature enables enterprise fleets to manage non-truck-specific devices, further empowering them with unlimited flexibility and unprecedented control over their technology suite.

“RPM has allowed us to upload a new app version to many environments at once, so something that originally took me around two minutes to do 25 times, I can now do once in that same two minutes.”
-Johnny Gallagher, Release Manager at Platform Science