What Is Telematics?

Telematics, or telemetry, is defined as the automatic collection and transmission of data from remote locations.

This is not new. The term is commonly used in the aerospace industry where, during a space flight, the control centre can often be heard reporting that "the telemetry is looking good".

Telemetry outside of the aerospace industry is also not new. Meteorologists have used radio probes (called radiosondes) carried by high altitude balloons for years in order to remotely monitor air pressure, wind speed and direction, altitude, geographical position, temperature and relative humidity.

At the consumer level, basic telematics technology is commonly deployed in the form of after-theft vehicle tracking systems.