VSS Administration

is a technology driven company that specialises in vehicle security accreditation.

VSS Administration

specialises in data verification, storage and administration of the VSS list.

Staying abreast with changes and technology

is our primary focus insuring that the products used by policyholders are of a high standard and insures their safety.

Telematic Products (Tracking and Recovery) Evaluation

Telematic products have significantly evolved, with over 250 tracking companies in South Africa and access to international products. Evaluating the performance of these products and companies is crucial.

Importance of Evaluation

Given that telematic devices can link to multiple platforms and service providers, it’s essential to assess the performance of these combinations. At VSS Administration, we believe in strict standards for evaluating and certifying product performance.

Certification Requirements

For a device to be VSS approved, it must have the following certifications:

EN/IEC/DIN/ISO Certificate: Covers environmental, electronic, and durability aspects.
ICASA Certificate: Requires testing under specific standards, with test reports submitted for approval.

Devices with certificates from reputable testing centers do not need retesting for environmental standards. If a manufacturer lacks necessary evaluation reports and certificates, we assist in directing them to the appropriate evaluation center.

Evaluation Criteria

VSS Administration evaluates device performance based on:

Tracking: Devices are placed in a vehicle and moved to five static positions, measuring distance and accuracy.
Latency: Devices are tested in four moving positions, including a simulated hijacking test to measure reporting ability.
Platform: Must comply with legal and working requirements, providing an audit trail of units and logs of events.
Recovery: A simulated theft test is performed, with the vehicle placed in a cool-down position without GPS lock. The recovery company must retrieve the vehicle within the targeted window.

Commitment to Standards

We pride ourselves on developing simulated tests based on industry feedback and SAPS information on hijacking and theft. These tests measure company performance in utilizing all components of telematic products and services.

Recommendations

We highly recommend using recovery companies for unit retrieval and tracking. It’s crucial that all units have self-regulating features and AI in the platform to notify users of any behavior affecting device performance.

Contact Information

For any queries, please contact our call center at 021 007 3167.

Common Challenges in Telematics Testing at VSS Administration

At VSS Administration, we encounter several challenges while evaluating telematics products. Here are some of the key issues we face:

Connectivity Issues: Ensuring reliable connectivity between telematics devices and networks is crucial. We often deal with latency, signal interference, and network coverage problems during our evaluations.
Environmental Factors: Our testing includes assessing device performance under various environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures, humidity, and vibrations. Ensuring durability and reliability in these conditions is essential.
Data Accuracy and Latency: Accurate and timely data transmission is critical for effective tracking and recovery. We rigorously test for delays and inaccuracies that could impact the performance of telematics systems.
Integration with Multiple Platforms: Telematics devices must integrate seamlessly with various platforms and service providers. Ensuring compatibility and smooth operation across these systems is a significant challenge we address in our evaluations.
Security Concerns: Protecting data transmitted by telematics devices from cyber threats is vital. We ensure that devices have robust data encryption, secure communication protocols, and strong authentication mechanisms.
Regulatory Compliance: Telematics devices must comply with various international and local regulations, such as ICASA and EN/IEC/DIN/ISO standards. Ensuring compliance can be complex and time-consuming, but it is a critical part of our evaluation process.
Testing Scalability: As the number of telematics devices and their use cases grow, scaling our testing processes to accommodate this growth is challenging. We continuously adapt our methods to ensure comprehensive evaluations.
Cost and Resource Constraints: Comprehensive testing requires significant resources, including time, money, and expertise. Balancing these constraints while ensuring thorough testing is a common challenge we face.

Addressing these challenges requires a focused and systematic approach to telematics testing at VSS Administration. Our goal is to ensure that devices are reliable, secure, and compliant with all necessary standards, providing the best possible performance for tracking and recovery operations.