SourceForge had an extensive chat with Justin Silva, CEO of Momentum IoT, to discuss how Fleet IoT can help small and mid-sized fleets address challenges they face in today’s market.
The key insight: “GPS trackers have been around for decades, but until now have NOT been widely used by small businesses. We’re here to change that, with a breakthrough GPS product that’s simple and easy to try, risk-free. This allows small businesses to get bigger, faster, without owners and managers losing control. They can finally compete with bigger competitors, with all the tools the giants have, and beat them.”
Could you talk a bit about the company’s history? How did it get started?
I started Momentum a few years ago when I was the IT Manager at a field service fleet in Long Beach, California. We tried a bunch of GPS products, and had a terrible experience with each one.
I was absolutely stunned at how companies like Verizon Connect and other GPS companies did business. You pay up-front, sign a long-term contract, and then every failure is your problem. It was shocking.
Their motto was, “The customer is always right, unless it’s one of ours.“
I just couldn’t believe how they were screwing the little guy, who got to pay the highest price, pay up-front for hardware, and take the risk of network shutdown or hardware failure. All kinds of things. We got so fed up that we finally said, fine, we can build this.
I even did a video about my experience with GPS vendors:
Who is the market for your product?
The response to our product has been enormous. We had customers right away, and thousands more signed up rapidly. Turns out there were hundreds of thousands of businesses which had difficulties dealing with Verizon Connect, FleetComplete, Teletrac Navman, and all.
Plumbers, landscapers, inspectors, construction, municipal fleets, EMT, delivery, basically anybody with a fleet of even a few trucks or vans needs what we offer. It’s a must-have for them, because they have multiple jobs spread out and constantly have to figure out where their trucks and equipment are and move them to the locations where they need to be.
And it’s not just basic GPS. The needs are also about fleet management overall, and logistics, and fleet maintenance, dispatch, small asset tracking, and field service management in general.
How are the needs of Small Businesses different from Big Fleets?
Frankly, big GPS fleet management vendors are not focused on the specific needs of the small and mid-sized fleets. Maybe they don’t think the problems of small business fleets are interesting, or worth solving, even though 2/3 of all fleets in America are small fleets, and 3/4 of them are not connected. Guys who run 3 Ford pickups and a Dodge with a trailer and a backhoe are just not worth their time, I guess.
Our customers needed a new tech, built from the ground up, with every decision that goes into that product made around their needs. We looked at everything, from what tech is in the GPS device, to how the cables are wired and attached on both sides, to how rugged it needs to be, to the buying and account provisioning process.
We came up with a GPS device that we call the Eagle 1, that was more rugged than the rest, and easier to install, and just worked, right out of the box. The Eagle 1 has more tech inside, and because we hired world-class engineers to design a purpose-built device, they made sure it had all kinds of forward-enabling goodies inside, and did things like manage power elegantly, handle power shutdown, switch to a whole other network on-the-fly, be used across a wide variety of makes and models and equipment types, and also enable what comes next!
Key Needs of Small Business Fleets in GPS Tracking:
- Low monthly price
- No contract
- Cancel any time
- Install easily without a tech
- Scale up easily
- Optional add-ons for what comes next
We designed the Eagle 1 to meet the needs of small field service fleets. It’s rugged, and has modular cables, real-time GPS, cellular on a mobile-first network, with an embedded backup battery, and Bluetooth inside.
What can your Eagle 1 do that other GPS tracking devices can’t?
I’ll give you examples. Our Eagle 1 device can lose power, and stay active in hibernate mode for 6 months on its backup battery! That is an incredible achievement! It meant a whole new battery and design, using a new chipset with lower power consumption than anything on the market, and it required switching networks on the fly. But our customers don’t need to get into those tech details. They just need a long life GPS device, so we delivered!
That 6 month life on a single charge meant that the Eagle 1 could be used in more different situations, for more types of assets. Like you could put it on garbage bins, or port-o-potties, or traffic message boards. Things which are dropped off, and rarely move for an extended period.
Here’s another example: embedded Bluetooth lets us roll-out beacon trackers for small equipment. There’s a pressing use case for tracking equipment on a truck. Techs leave behind all kinds of equipment on a job site. So imagine if a worker leaves a blower on a site, or a tech leaves a water pump, and gets a text as soon as he gets a block away, telling him. We can do that.
The same Bluetooth tracker on tools can also tell when there’s activity. So you’re getting into workflow efficiency. It’s a bigger vision for what this technology can do.
For those that need it, we made an optional PowerSense™ capability. For an extra $2 a month, our customers can wire PowerSense™ in to track use of auxiliary equipment. So now a fleet manager can show proof that a snowplow was used on a road this morning, or see if a driver is using the tow winch in non-business hours.
Since the competition is not going away, how do you plan on staying ahead?
Great question. We made this product super-easy to try, even on a single vehicle or light asset. We wanted everyone to try it, and the numbers bear this out. Many of our customers start with one device, but then buy 3 or 4, or hundreds more. The first one is just a test, which then can be canceled at any time. So we think that’s pretty good versus competitors.
But the real thing is not just how we sell. It’s product-led growth. What I mean by this is that GPS tracking is just the beginning of what we can do for customers. Once they are using us for a basic capability, there’s so much more we can add.
We’re constantly working on new assets we can track, for example. We did it with PowerSense. Now we’re doing it with our Bluetooth trackers for tools. These are small items on a van or truck, like a power generator, or a pump, or even a toolbox. They are essential to get a job done, and are often left behind. Imagine the power we give to managers who want to make sure the right tools are on the truck headed to each job site, and that none of those tools gets left behind.
How do your features compare to other vendors?
We’re very comparable to the larger, enterprise product vendors. We have the best software, as shown by independent reviews not only on SourceForge, but on other review sites including G2 and Capterra. Here’s a table which compares some of the key vendors.
Momentum IoT offers the best mobile, desktop, and laptop apps, so you can see all your connected assets on one screen, no matter where you are.
How is your product priced?
We charge $12 a month, with zero cost of hardware. We ship you the device for free. You can cancel at any time, and we will pay for your returning the device to us. The cost includes the hardware, software, platform, mobile apps, cables– everything to launch GPS trackers and go.
You can see more on pricing, and the results of a recent pricing survey, on our blog.
A small business wants to start using GPS. What should they do next?
- Look at independent reviews. Google it.
- Try to get a software demo. It should be free, like ours. Find it on our site.
- Try the mobile apps, by downloading them. Our apps are free to download and try. Just get a demo, then get the apps on the Google Play or Apple app stores or our site.
- Think about a hardware trial. Again, this should be free. We have a free trial of hardware, if you put in a credit card, here: https://momentumiot.com/getstarted/
- After you get the hardware, you want to make sure it’s easy to install. Install it. Check out your vendor’s installation guide, to make sure it’s easy.
- Buy more if you like us.
- If you don’t like us, tell us. We can either solve the issue, or you can cancel, no problem.
- Feel free to call us anytime. Someone always picks up. We don’t believe in voicemail. Our number is 323-831-3475.
About Momentum IoT
Momentum IoT helps small and mid-sized fleet managers locate and manage their trucks, trailers, heavy and light equipment with kickass GPS tracking products which are simple, rugged, and easy to use. Momentum IoT was built from gravel up by people who worked in field services. Learn more at: https://momentumiot.com.
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