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How to Choose an Asset Tracker: GPS vs BLE vs NFC Explained

If you need to keep track of equipment, tools, trailers or containers across your operation, choosing the right asset tracker is rarely as simple as picking one device.

Knowing how to choose an asset tracker comes down to matching the technology to the asset and its environment, because the three main options, GPS, BLE and NFC, each suit a very different job.

A rugged GPS unit built for a trailer in the outback is the wrong tool for a power drill that never leaves the warehouse, and the reverse is just as true.

Get the match right and the tracker saves your team hours of searching and keeps expensive gear from going missing. Get it wrong and you are left with devices that go flat, lose signal or never report at all.

This guide explains how GPS, BLE and NFC asset tracking each work, when to use them, and what to look for in a platform that supports all three.

What Is the Difference Between GPS, BLE and NFC Asset Tracking?

The difference between GPS, BLE and NFC asset tracking is range and purpose. GPS tracks assets outdoors over long distances. BLE gives indoor positioning in places like warehouses and hospitals. NFC enables tap-to-check workflows for tools and equipment. A platform that supports all three lets you track any asset in any environment without switching systems.

Each technology solves a different problem, so the right choice depends on where your assets go and how closely you need to follow them.

Why the Right Asset Tracker Depends on the Environment

The environment an asset lives in decides almost everything about how you track it.

  • An asset that moves across open ground needs satellite positioning and its own power source. 
  • An asset that stays inside a building needs short-range technology that works where GPS signal fades. 
  • An asset that sits in a store and gets checked in and out needs nothing more than a tag someone can scan.

That is why the honest answer to which asset tracker is best is really another question: best for what, and where?

What Is GPS Asset Tracking and When Should You Use It?

GPS asset tracking uses satellite positioning to locate an asset almost anywhere outdoors, which makes it the right choice for anything that moves across distance or leaves your site.

It suits vehicles, trailers, heavy plant, containers and any high-value asset that travels, and modern units are battery-powered, so they need no wiring to the asset itself.

Battery life is the main trade-off to understand. A rugged tracker like Digital Matter’s Oyster3 is rated for ten or more years on replaceable batteries, but that figure depends heavily on how often it reports: the same style of device might run for around ten years at one update a day and closer to four and a half years at hourly updates.

For a battery-powered asset tracker in Australia, that trade-off matters most on remote sites, where you also want satellite fallback for the places 4G cannot reach.

What Is BLE Asset Tracking and When Does It Make Sense?

BLE asset tracking uses small, low-energy Bluetooth tags that broadcast to nearby readers, which makes it ideal for locating assets indoors or within a defined area.

A BLE beacon is cheap, lasts years on a coin-cell battery, and suits places where GPS struggles, such as warehouses, hospitals, workshops and yards.

The trade-off is precision and range. BLE tells you an asset is in a zone or near a reader rather than its exact position, so it works best for high volumes of assets that stay within a known footprint.

What Is NFC Asset Tracking and Where Does It Fit?

NFC asset tracking uses tap-to-read tags that a phone or reader scans at close range, which makes it a tool for checks and verification rather than live location.

An NFC tag costs very little and needs no battery, so it suits tools, equipment and anything that gets inspected, signed out or handed over.

Rather than telling you where an asset is at all times, NFC confirms who touched it and when, which makes it a natural fit for maintenance checks, safety inspections and chain-of-custody records.

GPS vs BLE vs NFC: A Quick Comparison

Set side by side, the three technologies compare like this.

Attribute
GPSBLENFC
RangeAnywhere outdoorsNearby, indoor zoneTouch distance
Location detailLive GPS positionZone or proximityTap to confirm
Real-time locationYesNear real-time in rangeNo, on scan
Best forVehicles, trailers, remote plantIndoor stock and toolsInspections and checks
PowerBattery, yearsCoin-cell, yearsNone, passive
Needs infrastructureNoReaders or gatewaysA reader or phone

How to Choose the Right Asset Tracker for Your Operation

Choosing the right asset tracker starts with the asset itself: what it is, where it goes, and how closely you need to follow it.

Map each asset type to the environment it operates in, then match the technology, GPS for the field, BLE for indoors and NFC for checks, rather than forcing every asset onto one system.

Then weigh the practical trade-offs: how often you need an update, how long the battery has to last, and whether you need satellite coverage for remote sites.

The tag is only part of the decision. What matters just as much is the platform behind it, because that is what turns a location or a scan into action your team can use, and a device-agnostic platform lets you run GPS, BLE and NFC together and add new assets without changing systems.

How workM8 Supports All Three

workM8 brings GPS, BLE and NFC together on one platform, so you can track any asset in any environment without stitching separate tools together.

Its asset tracking runs on the same workM8 platform as vehicle tracking and environmental monitoring, so a trailer, a warehouse pallet and a tool cabinet all sit in one view.

When a GPS-tracked trailer leaves a yard after hours, or a high-value tool is tapped out on an NFC checkpoint and not returned, workM8 can trigger the alert, the form or the report on its own, without anyone watching a screen.

Because the platform is device-agnostic, it works with the trackers you already run, from rugged battery-powered GPS units to BLE beacons, and because workM8 is Australian-owned with data held onshore, it is built for Australian operations. A tracker shows you where an asset is; an IoT workflow automation platform acts on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best Asset Tracker for Outdoor Equipment?

The best asset tracker for outdoor equipment is a battery-powered GPS tracker, because it reports location anywhere with network or satellite coverage. For equipment that moves between sites or into remote areas, GPS gives you live position without relying on nearby readers or fixed infrastructure.

What Is the Difference Between GPS and BLE Asset Tracking?

The difference between GPS and BLE asset tracking is range. GPS locates assets anywhere outdoors over long distances, while BLE locates them within a defined indoor area using short-range Bluetooth tags and readers. GPS suits vehicles and remote plant; BLE suits indoor stock and tools.

How Long Does an Asset Tracker Battery Last?

An asset tracker battery can last from several months to more than ten years, depending on the technology and how often it reports. A GPS tracker sending one update a day can run for years, while one reporting every hour drains far faster, and NFC tags need no battery at all.

What Is NFC Asset Tracking Used For?

NFC asset tracking is used for checks and verification rather than live location. Staff tap an NFC tag with a phone or reader to confirm an inspection, log maintenance or verify an asset is where it should be, which makes it ideal for tools, equipment and chain-of-custody records.

Can One Platform Manage GPS, BLE and NFC Together?

Yes, a device-agnostic platform can manage GPS, BLE and NFC together. workM8 brings all three into one system, so you can track vehicles and remote plant by GPS, locate indoor stock by BLE, and run tap-to-check workflows by NFC without switching between separate tools.

Want to track any asset in any environment on one platform? Book a demo and we will show you how workM8 brings GPS, BLE and NFC together.

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What Is Fleet Telematics? A Guide for Australian Enterprise Fleets

If you run vehicles as part of your operation, you have almost certainly heard the term fleet telematics, and probably from more than one vendor promising it will change the way you work.

But behind the pitch, what does fleet telematics actually mean, and what should it do for a large operation running vehicles and equipment across multiple sites?

There are more than 22 million vehicles registered on Australian roads (IBISWorld, 2026), and for the enterprises that run fleets of them, simply knowing where each vehicle sits on a map no longer counts as managing it.

The real value is in what happens after the data arrives, and that is where telematics either earns its place or becomes another dashboard nobody opens.

This guide explains what fleet telematics is, how it works, how it differs from GPS tracking, and what to look for in a platform built for Australian enterprise operations.

What Is Fleet Telematics?

Fleet telematics is the use of in-vehicle hardware and cloud software to collect and act on data from a fleet, including location, engine health and driver behaviour. It goes beyond GPS tracking by turning that data into decisions and automated action, helping operations improve safety, cut costs and stay compliant.

The word is a blend of telecommunications and informatics, which is a technical way of saying it connects your vehicles to a system that can make sense of what they are doing.

In practice, a small device in each vehicle gathers information as the vehicle runs, sends it over a mobile or satellite network, and presents it in software your team can act on.

A basic setup tells you where a vehicle is; a capable platform tells you what that means and what to do next, which is the thread this guide keeps returning to.

How Does Fleet Telematics Work?

Fleet telematics works in three stages: it collects data in the vehicle, sends it over a network, and presents it in software for your team to act on.

The In-Vehicle Hardware

A telematics device, either wired into the vehicle or plugged into its diagnostic port, reads location, speed, engine data and driver inputs while the vehicle operates.

The Connectivity Layer

That data travels over a mobile network, or over satellite where there is no coverage, to a secure cloud platform in near real time.

The Software Platform

The platform turns the raw feed into live maps, reports and alerts, and the best systems trigger the next action on their own rather than waiting for someone to notice.

Fleet Telematics vs GPS Tracking: What’s the Difference?

The difference between fleet telematics and GPS tracking is depth: GPS tracking shows you where a vehicle is, while fleet telematics adds the engine, driver and usage data around that location and turns it into something you can act on.

GPS tracking answers one question well, which is where the vehicle is right now. Fleet telematics answers the questions that follow, such as how it is being driven, what it is costing and what needs attention next.

CapabilityGPS TrackingFleet Telematics
Real-time location and routingYesYes
Trip historyYesYes
Engine health and fault codesNoYes
Driver behaviour, harsh braking, speedingNoYes
Fuel use and utilisationRarelyYes
Automated alerts and workflowsNoYes

What Fleet Telematics Can Do for Your Operation

Used well, fleet telematics earns its place in four areas: safety, running costs, maintenance and compliance.

On safety, it surfaces the behaviours that lead to incidents, from harsh braking and speeding to signs of fatigue, so you can address them before they end in a crash or a claim.

On cost, it shows where fuel and vehicle hours are being lost, from excessive idling to inefficient routing, which adds up quickly across a large fleet.

On maintenance, engine fault codes and odometer readings can trigger a service before a small issue becomes an off-road breakdown.

On compliance, it produces the records a regulator expects, whether that is Chain of Responsibility duties under the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator or an employer’s duty of care under Safe Work Australia, which is also why a single-purpose tracker tends to struggle as you grow, something we cover in why your vehicle tracking tool won’t scale.

When a heavy vehicle nears its driving-hours limit on a long interstate run, a capable platform can flag it to the scheduler and the driver before it becomes a fatigue breach, rather than after.

What to Look for in a Fleet Telematics Platform

The market is crowded, so a few things separate a fleet telematics platform built for enterprise operations from a basic tracker with a login.

First, it should work with the hardware you already run and over any network, so you are not locked into one vendor’s devices or left blind where mobile coverage drops.

Second, it should act on the data, triggering the alert, the form or the work order automatically rather than leaving it for a coordinator to chase.

Third, it should bring your wider operation into one place, so vehicles, asset tracking and field teams sit under one login rather than four.

And for fleet telematics in Australia, it should hold data onshore, offer local support, and understand local compliance, from Chain of Responsibility to state-based work health and safety law.

How workM8 Turns Fleet Telematics Into Action

workM8 was built around the part of fleet telematics that most systems treat as an afterthought, which is what happens once the data arrives.

Its vehicle tracking runs on the same workM8 platform as asset tracking, lone worker safety and digital forms, so the data from your fleet never sits in isolation.

When a vehicle logs a fault code, crosses a geofence or records a harsh-braking event, workM8 can trigger the response on its own, a service booking, an alert to the supervisor or a form for the driver, without anyone watching a screen.

Because the platform is device-agnostic and network-agnostic, it works with the telematics hardware you already run, over 4G, satellite and low-power networks, and because workM8 is Australian-owned with data held onshore, it is built for Australian fleets and Australian compliance.

A tracking tool shows you the dot on the map; an IoT workflow automation platform acts on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference Between Fleet Telematics and GPS Tracking?

The difference between fleet telematics and GPS tracking is scope. GPS tracking shows a vehicle’s location and route, while fleet telematics adds engine health, driver behaviour and fuel data, and turns all of it into alerts, reports and automated actions across the operation.

What Data Does Fleet Telematics Collect?

Fleet telematics collects location and trip history, speed and driver behaviour such as harsh braking and idling, engine diagnostics and fault codes, fuel use and odometer readings. Some systems add dash-camera footage and driver identification for extra context and accountability.

Is Fleet Telematics Mandatory in Australia?

Fleet telematics is not mandatory for most Australian businesses, but it is often the practical way to meet obligations that are. Chain of Responsibility duties under heavy vehicle law and an employer’s work health and safety duty of care both require managing risks that telematics helps you evidence and control.

Can Fleet Telematics Work With Vehicles I Already Own?

Yes, fleet telematics can work with vehicles you already own. A device-agnostic platform connects to hardware from any manufacturer and to most modern vehicles through their diagnostic port or a wired install, so you rarely need to replace anything to get started.

Does Fleet Telematics Work in Remote Areas Without Mobile Coverage?

Yes, fleet telematics can work beyond mobile coverage. Systems that support satellite connectivity and store-and-forward devices keep collecting data where there is no signal, then upload it once the vehicle returns to coverage, so remote and regional operations are not left blind.

Want to see what your fleet data could do once it starts working for you? Book a demo and we will show you how workM8 turns telematics into action across your operation.

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Lone Worker Safety Compliance in Australia: What You Actually Need

If you have people working out in the field, on the road or on remote sites, then you have lone workers, even if you have never labelled them that way.

But what safety and compliance measures do you have in place for the people who work independently?

For lone and remote workers, the danger is simple: when something goes wrong there is no one beside them to help or raise the alarm, and managing that risk is what lone worker safety in Australia comes down to.

In 2024, 188 Australian workers tragically lost their lives at work (Safe Work Australia), and the sectors that recorded the most fatalities, transport, agriculture and construction, are the ones that most often send people out alone or into the field.

The legislation treats this seriously, and this post sets out what Australian WHS law actually requires for lone workers, why a standalone duress device no longer meets that duty on its own, and what genuine protection looks like across a modern, multi-site operation.

What Does Australian Law Require for Lone Worker Safety?

Australian law requires employers to eliminate or minimise risks to lone workers so far as is reasonably practicable, under the Work Health and Safety Act. This includes providing a means of raising an alarm, conducting regular welfare checks and maintaining emergency response procedures. Automated check-ins and duress alerting are increasingly treated as best practice for compliance.

The duty begins with section 19 of the Work Health and Safety Act, which places a primary duty of care on the PCBU, the person conducting the business or undertaking, to protect the health and safety of workers so far as is reasonably practicable.

That duty follows the work rather than the workplace, so it covers a worker driving between depots or entering a client’s home just as clearly as someone on the floor of a plant.

Remote and isolated work has its own provision in Regulation 48 of the model WHS Regulations, which requires you to manage the risks and put systems in place to communicate effectively with anyone isolated by location, time or the nature of their work.

Those model laws apply in every state and territory except Victoria, which reaches an equivalent standard through its own Occupational Health and Safety Act, so a national operation carries the same duty across every site it runs.

Why a Dedicated Duress Device Is No Longer Enough

For years, the standard response to lone worker risk was a dedicated duress device, a pendant or handset a worker could press in an emergency.

On a single site with a handful of people that was a reasonable control, but across a large, distributed operation, its limits show quickly.

A standalone device works only when the worker is conscious, capable and in coverage to press it, which leaves the situations that matter most, like a fall or a sudden medical event, with no response at all.

It also sits apart from every other system you run, so the alert never knows the worker’s last location from the vehicle they were driving, and the incident never reaches the compliance record unless someone types it in.

Regulation 48 calls for effective communication and risk controls proportionate to the risk, which at enterprise scale is a systems challenge that a single device cannot meet.

What Genuine Lone Worker Protection Looks Like in Practice

Genuine lone worker protection starts before anyone reaches the field, with a risk assessment for every role that involves working alone at any point, including travel between jobs and opening or closing a site.

From there, the controls should match the risk each role actually carries.

A worker making low-risk visits in town might need no more than a scheduled check-in, while a technician on a remote site after dark needs monitored duress, automatic escalation and a location the response team can act on.

The part that matters most is that protection cannot depend on the worker being able to raise the alarm themselves.

When a check-in is missed, the system should escalate on its own, notify a supervisor, share the last known location and start the emergency procedure, whether or not the worker can reach for a button.

For an enterprise, it also has to prove itself afterwards, with an audit trail showing every check-in, alert and response, ready for a regulator, an insurer or an internal review.

How Do Automated Welfare Checks Work?

An automated welfare check replaces the manual routine of a supervisor ringing around to confirm everyone is safe.

The worker confirms they are okay on a schedule set to their risk, by responding to a prompt on their phone, checking in through an app, or moving within a pattern the system expects.

When a check-in falls due and does not arrive, the platform does not wait for anyone to notice.

It escalates automatically, alerting the nominated responder, surfacing the worker’s last known location and, where the risk warrants it, starting the full emergency response, without a person watching a screen.

Because much of the highest-risk work happens where mobile coverage is thin, the check-in has to keep working over satellite and hold data on the device until it can reconnect, so a lost signal never becomes a lost worker.

The same platform can capture the incident report through digital forms the moment something goes wrong, so the record is complete without anyone rebuilding it later.

How workM8 Delivers Lone Worker Safety in Australia

workM8 treats lone worker safety as part of one operational platform, not a device bolted on to the side.

Our lone worker safety solution runs on the same workM8 platform as vehicle tracking and digital forms, so a missed check-in, a duress alert and a vehicle’s last known position all sit in one place and inform one another.

When a field technician on a remote site misses a scheduled check-in, workM8 escalates to their supervisor, draws the location straight from vehicle tracking on the vehicle they arrived in, and opens the response procedure, automatically and from rules you set once.

Because the platform is device-agnostic and network-agnostic, it keeps working over 4G, satellite and low-power networks well beyond mobile signal, and because workM8 is Australian-owned with data held onshore, the audit trail it produces is built for Australian regulators and Australian conditions.

A standalone device can raise an alarm; an IoT workflow automation platform runs the entire response, logging every check-in, alert and escalation and feeding it into the systems you already use for compliance and incident management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Illegal to Work Alone in Australia?

No, it is not illegal to work alone in Australia. What the law requires is that you manage the risks of it, assessing them for each role, putting proportionate controls in place, and, under Regulation 48 of the model WHS Regulations, maintaining effective communication with anyone isolated by location, time or the nature of their work.

Which Workers Count as Lone or Isolated Workers?

Lone or isolated workers are anyone isolated from assistance because of where or when they work, or the nature of the task. That definition reaches further than most organisations assume, covering a nurse alone in a client’s home or a retail worker closing a store at night, not only crews in remote regions.

Does a Duress Device Satisfy WHS Requirements on Its Own?

No, a duress device does not satisfy WHS requirements on its own. The law asks for effective communication and risk controls matched to the risk, which usually means a system combining scheduled check-ins, automatic escalation, location and reliable coverage, rather than a single device a worker has to remember and be able to activate.

How Often Do Lone Workers Need to Check In?

How often lone workers need to check in depends on the risk of the role, because the legislation sets no fixed interval. A low-risk visit might warrant a check-in each shift, while high-risk or remote work may need hourly check-ins or continuous monitoring, with the frequency recorded in the risk assessment.

Do WHS Lone Worker Rules Apply in Every State?

WHS lone worker rules apply in every Australian state and territory except Victoria, which imposes equivalent duties under its own Occupational Health and Safety Act. For a national operation, that means planning to meet the same standard everywhere it works.

Ready to give your lone workers protection that does not depend on them raising the alarm? Book a demo and we will show you how workM8 keeps your field teams safe and your compliance provable.

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Why Your Vehicle Tracking Tool Won’t Scale With Your Business

Your vehicle tracking system was probably chosen to answer one question with certainty: where is every vehicle, right now, across the operation?

At the scale you were working at then, it did exactly that.

The operation has grown a great deal since, and the demands on that system have grown with it, across more sites and more states, a wider mix of vehicles and assets, and tighter regulatory and reporting obligations.

At that scale, a basic tracker and a genuine vehicle tracking platform in Australia are no longer interchangeable, and the difference shows right across the operation.

Australia’s road freight sector alone accounts for more than 64,000 businesses, and the largest of them sit alongside the national airlines, rail networks, utilities, resources companies and government fleets that run vehicles and equipment across hundreds of sites.

This post looks at why single-purpose tracking tools stall as an operation scales, what that quietly costs a large organisation, and what to look for in a platform built for that scale.

What Is the Difference Between a Vehicle Tracking Tool and an IoT Fleet Platform?

A vehicle tracking tool shows where your vehicles are. An IoT fleet platform goes a few steps further, connecting your vehicle data to asset tracking, lone worker safety and digital forms on the same system. workM8 combines full telematics with a broader operational platform, eliminating the need for multiple vendor subscriptions.

A tracking tool reports location and movement, and it does that well.

A platform takes the same information and turns it into action, without waiting for someone to notice and step in.

For example, if a refrigerated load drifts out of temperature, a tracking tool would log the reading, while the platform raises the alert, opens the corrective action and updates the compliance record in time to save the load.

What Most Vehicle Tracking Tools Actually Do (And What They Don’t)

Most vehicle tracking tools were designed to do one job, and they usually do it well.

They give you real-time location, trip history, geo-fencing and often driver behaviour scoring, which is plenty when all you need is to see where the fleet is.

The strain shows the moment you need that information to do more than notify you.

A speeding event gets logged, but the incident report still waits for a person to raise it, and the coordinator still ends up rekeying the same details into another system by hand.

Many of these tools also rely on OBD vehicle tracking, the plug-in devices that read straight from a vehicle’s diagnostic port.

They are quick to fit and fine for light fleets, but they only ever see the vehicle, so the moment you need to follow a trailer, generator or shipping container, they have nothing to offer.

The Hidden Cost of Running Multiple Tracking Systems

When one tool cannot cover everything, most operations do the sensible thing and add another.

A separate system for asset tracking, a dedicated app for lone worker safety, a forms tool for the field crews, each solving its own problem.

Before long you are paying several subscriptions instead of one, logging into dashboards that never talk to each other, and finding the same vehicle recorded differently in each.

The cost that hurts most never shows on an invoice; it lands the day a regulator or auditor asks for a single report spanning vehicles, assets and site attendance, and someone loses an afternoon stitching exports together by hand.

This is the point where large operators start weighing up fleet telematics alternatives, because the sprawl of disconnected systems has become a bigger liability than anything the telematics itself gets wrong.

What Does It Actually Mean to Scale a Fleet Operation?

Every stage of growth adds new sites, new asset types, tighter compliance obligations and more teams who each depend on accurate, current information.

Each of those adds a layer of operational complexity that a single-purpose tracker was never designed to carry.

A system that performed well across one region and a few hundred vehicles behaves very differently once it is stretched across multiple states, business units and reporting lines.

At enterprise scale, the platform has to absorb that complexity on its own, so growth does not simply convert into more manual work for your team.

Add a site and the geo-fence rules apply on their own, onboard a driver and their induction form triggers on first entry, fit a sensor to a new asset and it appears alongside everything else you track.

When growth forces you to add headcount just to keep the dashboards reconciled, the system has quietly stopped scaling with the business.

5 Signs Your Vehicle Tracking Tool Is Holding You Back

These limits rarely announce themselves all at once.

They surface gradually, as workarounds, side spreadsheets and manual reconciliations that quietly become part of how the operation runs.

When several of the following sound familiar, the tracking tool has most likely reached the edge of what it can support.

  • You need more than one system to see your whole operation.
  • Your team rebuilds the same reports by hand every time an audit comes around.
  • Anything without an engine or a power source falls outside what you can track.
  • A field event still relies on a person to notice it and trigger what comes next.
  • Adding a site or a new asset type brings more admin every time, rather than a simple new login.

What Should a Vehicle Tracking Platform Include?

The shortlist of what to look for is short but firm.

The right platform should track any asset over any network, act on field events on its own, and keep everything under one login and one shared view of the operation.

CapabilitySingle-Purpose Tracking ToolIoT Fleet Platform
Real-time location and trip historyYesYes
Assets, trailers and equipmentRarelyYes
Lone worker safety and welfare checksNoYes
Automated action from field eventsNoYes
One login, one shared viewNoYes
Works with any hardware and networkRarelyYes

The best scalable fleet management software works as an IoT platform first, with vehicle tracking as one capability among many.

For a much more detailed look into some of those other capabilities, check out recent blog: What Is an IoT Workflow Automation Platform?

How workM8 Goes Beyond the Dot on a Map

workM8 was built for exactly this moment, when an operation has outgrown its first tracking tool but has no appetite for bolting on another system.

It runs vehicle tracking, asset tracking, lone worker safety and digital forms on one platform, with a single login and shared data layer, so you start with the fleet and add the rest as you need it.

When a truck crosses into New South Wales, a basic tool logs the crossing, while workM8 can message the site manager, update the compliance record, send the driver their form and notify the customer portal, all from rules you set once, with no developer to maintain.

It also pushes the outcome into the systems the business already runs on, from ERP and maintenance platforms to compliance reporting, so the field and the back office stay in step.

Because the platform is device-agnostic and network-agnostic, it works with the hardware you already run, over 4G, satellite, LoRaWAN (long-range, low-power networks for remote sensors), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, for short-range tags) or NFC (tap-to-read tags).

And because workM8 is Australian-owned, with data onshore and support based here, it is built around Australian sites, conditions and compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference Between Vehicle Tracking and Fleet Telematics?

The difference between vehicle tracking and fleet telematics is scope: vehicle tracking shows where a vehicle is and where it has been, while fleet telematics adds the engine and driver data behind the movement, such as fuel use, idling and harsh braking. A full platform goes further again, using both to trigger workflows right across the operation, from assets and forms to field teams.

Can I Keep My Existing Hardware If I Switch Platforms?

Yes, on a device-agnostic platform you can usually keep your existing hardware when you switch. Because workM8 works with hardware from any manufacturer, most operations keep the trackers and sensors they already have and simply connect them, rather than tearing everything out and starting again.

How Many Vehicles Do You Need Before a Platform Makes Sense?

There is no fixed number of vehicles you need before a platform makes sense, because the trigger is complexity rather than fleet size. Operations running fifty or more vehicles, assets or field workers across multiple sites usually feel the limits of a single-purpose tool first.

Is an IoT Fleet Platform More Expensive Than a Tracking Tool?

An IoT fleet platform is usually no more expensive than a tracking tool once you look at the whole picture. It replaces several separate subscriptions with one and removes the manual admin that disconnected systems create, so most operations comparing like for like find it costs less than the tools it retires.

Does workM8 Work Beyond Mobile Coverage?

Yes, workM8 works beyond mobile coverage. Through satellite connectivity and store-and-forward devices that hold data until they reconnect, it keeps tracking assets and lone workers well beyond mobile signal, then syncs everything the moment coverage returns.

Ready to see what your fleet data could do once it starts working for you? Book a demo and we will show you how workM8 fits the way your operation runs.

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Australian Software Innovator workM8 Joins Optus IoT Partner Ecosystem

SYDNEY, 17 June 2020 — Optus Business has partnered with Australian software company workM8, to offer enterprise customers access to the workM8 platform, which simplifies vehicle tracking, asset monitoring and lone worker safety into a single, easy to use cloud-hosted solution.

From in-building staff to outside field workers, the workM8 platform and mobile app cuts across industries by tracking people and assets and delivering automated business logic and workflows that are defined by the customer and based on location triggers.

workM8 improves lone worker safety by logging the real-time or last known location of staff in the field and responding to assistance requests; providing safety checklist and procedures based on location; alerting workers if they have spent too long in an area deemed dangerous; and broadcasting alerts to lone workers in the event of a nearby major incident. It incorporates protocols if there is no data connection.

Worker safety is further improved by workM8’s ability to track large or small vehicles and monitor driver behaviour by measuring key metrics such as speed, heat and g-force. If a vehicle rollover occurs, a sudden stop or engine trouble is detected, or a driver exceeds a safe journey time and risks fatigue, workM8 will automate alerts and the deployment of help. 

The workM8 software brings together connected devices via IoT and critical personnel monitoring into a simple, single platform with easy to interpret reporting dashboards. A key benefit is the ability to input and manage data from many sources, across multiple networks, people, devices, and existing IT infrastructure.

Optus Business Vice President Product Innovation, Deon Liebenberg, sees workM8 as an important fit to Optus’ growing IoT ecosystem to help customers transform and adapt their businesses quickly, and extract greater value from their investment in connecting to Optus’ 4G, NB-IoT, and 5G networks.

“workM8 allows customers to take data from devices, staff in the field, vehicles and other sensors that are connected via Optus’ IoT network, to streamline and automate business and safety processes quickly and easily, with no large implementation costs,” explained Deon.

“For field-based teams, workers can use workM8 to capture video, photographs, GPS locations and voice recordings and automatically trigger other business processes such as safety and welfare checks. Our customers can now design real digital transformation programs no matter how large or small the organisation,” he added.

According to workM8 co-founder Stephen Snell, who has worked with mobile communication technologies for more than 25 years, many organisations have yet to unlock the potential of IoT networks, hardware, connected staff and infrastructure.

Stephen believes that a scalable, reliable, secure, and programmable IoT network is fundamental to reaching that potential, and Optus’ recent investment in NB-IoT and 5G will further lower the barrier of IoT adoption.

“We saw a gap in the market as the existing platforms required bespoke development or integration. Our product, however, is a self-administered solution, which customers can easily adapt, deploy and use.” 

workM8 is designed to be device and hardware agnostic, meaning organisations are not restricted to a specific piece of hardware or data network. Importantly, the workM8 mobile app allows field staff to become part of the IoT data mix, receiving data real-time and providing additional interaction.

work8M is Australian-developed technology with the company located at the nandin Innovation Centre at ANSTO’s science and technology facility in southern Sydney.

To learn more, speak to your Optus Account Executive or contact help@workm8.io

About workM8

workM8 is an Australian IoT workflow automation platform built for enterprise and government organisations operating in the field. Founded in 2016 and based in Sutherland Shire, NSW, workM8 connects any device over any network — including 4G, satellite, LoRaWAN, BLE and NFC — and provides a no-code workflow builder for configuring automated responses to real-world operational conditions. The platform powers vehicle tracking, asset tracking, lone worker safety, digital forms, environmental monitoring and lift monitoring for hundreds of customers across Australia. workM8 is also the white-label IoT platform of choice for mobile network operators, systems integrators and technology resellers.

For more information visit workm8.io

About Optus

Optus Business helps enterprise and government customers navigate the rapidly changing business landscape by providing the right systems, services and applications. For more than two decades, we have been helping businesses grow using our network of best-in-class partners and the global expertise and resources of parent company, Singtel, which serves more than 700 million mobile customers around the world.

For more information visit optus.com.au