What we have here is a desire to communicate

Telematic service and equipment providers are racing to gain market share in what's expected to become a solid long-term market.

Telematics is still considered a new technology in the high-volume automotive world, but it's rapidly heading toward the mainstream in the off-highway market. Service providers are transforming their strategies as they push technology to reduce costs and trim system sizes.

A flurry of strategic moves so far this year underscore the importance vendors place on this market. The Rugged Telematics Alliance was formed in March by Axeda, LHP Telematics, Hirschmann, Methode Electronics, Morey Corp., ORBCOMM, and Telenor. They quickly rolled out a preconfigured tracking and monitoring unit that will help companies get to market quickly.