Selecting the Right Video Telematics Supplier for Your Commercial Fleet

This Research Highlight is a resource for commercial fleet operators seeking a video telematics partner. In this post, our analysts identify the key attributes of the top three commercial video telematics vendors - sourced from our most recent competitive ranking report. These criteria and company profiles provide an idea of what makes a video telematics solution stand out from the crowd.

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Market Background

Video telematics helps companies understand how drivers behave and how vehicles perform, improving safety and efficiency. Governments are increasingly requiring businesses to use video telematics to meet safety standards. A recent study by ABI Research compares offerings from the top three dominant video telematics vendors—Geotab, Lytx, and Samsara—and highlights innovation and implementation criteria that fleet operators should prioritize when choosing a partner. These criteria include solution options, user experience, market share, go-to-market strategy, and more.

Video Telematics Innovations Fleet Operators Should Prioritize

The criteria for assessing video telematics innovation include solution options, user experience, and supported use cases, including in-cab sensing and Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). The top three innovators in commercial video telematics are Lytx, Geotab, and Samsara.

  • Solution Options: An evaluation of the solution's hardware and related services comprehensiveness, considering portfolio breadth, scalability, customization options, and security.
  • User Experience: Assesses the time it takes for both novice and experienced users to gain insights using the solution. The system is designed as a low-code/no-code platform, allowing customers to customize it for their unique needs without external assistance. It includes templates for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and undergoes frequent updates.
  • Use Cases: Examines the key use cases supported by the video telematics solution, including in-cab sensing, dash cam functionality, center stack camera integration, Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), active safety features, 360° surround view, cargo monitoring, local recording, and cloud storage capabilities. Considerations for future use cases, such as higher processing power, are also crucial. Evaluate the solution's passive and active ADAS features for guiding drivers safely, improving Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) scores, coaching drivers, and enhancing features like blind spot detection, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, traffic signal recognition, pedestrian detection, and parking assistance.

Top Three Innovators of Video Telematics Systems

Lytx, Geotab, and Samsara were deemed the top three biggest commercial video telematics innovators.

#1: Lytx

Lytx ranks first in innovation, providing solutions that yield immediate insights for fleet managers through an intuitive interface. The platform offers comprehensive training resources and reusable UI components to expedite digital transformation. Lytx's in-house designed hardware supports various use cases, including in-cab alerts, dash cam functionalities, 360° surround view, and safety features like lane departure and critical distance alerts.

The company’s strength lies in driver safety, offering a configurable solution using MV+AI, alerting, event review, and coaching workflows. Lytx's analytics and reporting tools provide fleet managers with web-based dashboards and Driver Profiles for efficient management and trend-spotting. The company's privacy-by-design approach, AI risk detection, and driver behavior alerts showcase its commitment to comprehensive, secure services. Lytx's ability to remotely manage firmware updates further distinguishes it in the industry.

#2: Geotab

Geotab secures the second position with comprehensive video telematics offerings and unmatched integration capabilities. Geotab's Marketplace offers a robust selection of over 25 video telematics solutions, including top global options, covering diverse functionalities and powering options. Fleets can choose from various methods to power cameras, and once activated, they start receiving risk event data within the first day, automatically uploading to the cloud. Geotab's camera solutions, featuring different views and resolutions, cater to diverse fleet needs. With a focus on a seamless user experience, Geotab provides comprehensive onboarding and training tools, while the Order Now feature in MyGeotab enables direct camera configuration and management. As a device-agnostic, AI-driven platform processing over 55 billion data points daily, Geotab's MyGeotab app offers fleets a unified view for efficient management of video, vehicle telematics, and other technology.

#3: Samsara

Samsara is third in the innovation rankings, standing out for its versatile video telematics offerings covering various use cases, including in-cab sensing, dash cam functionalities, ADAS, and active safety features. Samsara's Connected Operations Cloud provides a comprehensive solution, enabling customers to capture data from various sources on one unified platform. The platform offers AI-enabled cameras, real-time fleet management, equipment tracking, video security, regulatory compliance, workflow automation, and actionable insights.

Samsara's hardware boasts a quick installation process, typically under 15 minutes, and easy accessibility through the Cloud dashboard. The Video-Based Safety offerings cover in-cab coaching, dash cam functionalities, ADAS, cargo monitoring, and future-proof accommodations for higher processing power. Real-time driver coaching capabilities, including AI dash cams and Virtual Coach, distinguish Samsara by detecting unsafe behaviors, providing in-cab alerts, and facilitating self-coaching for drivers (learn more in the Insight Samsara Redefining Its Fleet Management Portfolio with Enhanced Video Telematics Solutions).

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Are you implementing commercial video telematics for your fleet? Speak to an Analyst to discuss more.


Video Telematics System Implementation Factors

ABI Research determined a vendor’s implementation capabilities based on the following factors.

  • Market Share: This criterion examines whether a supplier can point to a growing order book, increasing customer base, and examples of high-profile firms using the solution. Factors like the number of connected vehicles, subscribers, pricing schemes, and price per camera (in-cab, surround, cargo monitoring, etc.) are also considered.
  • Geographical and Vertical Spread: Evaluates whether a customer can roll out the solution globally without any regional restrictions. The spread of business verticals the solution caters to, including the types of vehicles, is also a consideration.
  • Solution Accessibility: This criterion assesses whether the solution is available via the cloud (public, private, or hybrid) and if it is provided on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis with interfaces in both English and other spoken languages.
  • Go-To-Market Strategy:  This criterion evaluates the partnerships and channel strategy that supports the Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy for the solution, including partnerships with firms across different geographies, verticals, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and technology specialists.
  • Integration with Existing Systems: This evaluates whether the solution provides Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) so that organizations can integrate with existing management systems, and how easy it is for the system to receive and transmit data to connected systems.
  • Time to Value: This evaluates whether a customer can use the full functionality of the solution out of the box, or does the solution require some customization? It also considers the time required for a customer to scale the solution across their facilities and start achieving and guaranteeing Return on Investment (ROI).

Top Three Implementers of Video Telematics

Geotab, Lytx, and Samsara also excelled the most in our implementation criteria for video telematics offerings.

#1: Geotab

Geotab has achieved an impressive average annual growth of around 20% since 2019, amassing over 3.7 million subscriptions, with approximately 60% dedicated to fleets with 500 or more vehicles. Notably, Geotab's camera sales, specifically the Marketplace Order Now solutions, have surged by 93% in the last 12 months, reflecting a focused push into video technology. Partnering with five of the top ten global video telematics providers, Geotab offers a diverse range of over 25 video telematics solutions through its Marketplace.

Geotab’s revenue generation is done through collaborations with integrated third-party camera manufacturers and witnesses robust growth driven by telecom partnerships. Geotab's global sales span North America, South America, and Europe, catering to varied industries. The success is attributed to multilingual support in both Marketplace solutions and the MyGeotab platform, supporting languages such as English, French, German, Spanish, and more.

#2: Lytx

Lytx takes the second position in our implementation rankings, showcasing robust capabilities in system integration, time-to-value, and deployments across various geographical regions and industry verticals. Lytx stands out as a global market leader with nearly 1 million vehicles and over 5,000 fleets under subscription, dominating the North American video telematics market for large fleets across diverse industries. Their comprehensive solutions, including the Vision Platform, Video Safety Applications, and Video Telematics Applications, cater to various enterprise segments. Leveraging both direct (DriveCam) and indirect (Surfsight) go-to-market channels, Lytx boasts significant growth through more than 100 reseller partners. The company's OEM integration with Daimler Truck North America and MV+AI-powered offerings further solidify its industry presence, offering managed and self-installation options for a swift and efficient deployment process with dedicated support.

#3: Samsara

Samsara earns the third spot for implementation excellence, fueled by a growing order book and an expanding clientele. Samsara concluded its Fiscal Year (FY) 2Q 2024 with an impressive US$930 million in ARR, marking a robust 40% YoY growth. The company boasts a substantial customer base, with over 1,500 clients spending more than US$100,000 per year, including notable names like New Jersey Transit and National Grid. Serving more than 19,000 core customers and offering subscription contracts ranging from 3 to 5 years, Samsara has a diverse pricing structure, starting at US$44 for forward-facing, US$60 for dual-facing, with additional fees for streaming. Geographically, Samsara caters to North America and Europe across various industries, providing an open platform with 240+ partners for seamless integration and efficient workflows. The platform is versatile, accommodating vehicles of all sizes and connecting with OEMs like Ford and Volvo.

Get the Complete Rankings

ABI Research recently published its Commercial Video Telematics competitive ranking, which takes a much deeper look at the top vendors in the market. The assessment identifies the Unique Selling Points (USPs) of nine vendors, evaluates the various technology innovations,  and categorizes each vendor as a leader, mainstream provider, or follower. Download the report today!


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