Contact: David.Giroux@Daimler.com        

YOUNTVILLE, Calif. – July 28, 2015 – Detroit Connect today announced that it is deepening its telematics strategy by re-aligning its offerings in collaboration with Zonar Systems, Inc.

Detroit Connect will transition the branding of its Visibility Fleet Software and On-Board Tablet to Zonar. With this change, Visibility will take on Zonar’s Ground Traffic Control fleet tracking application product name, and the Tablet will assume the 2020^™ tablet branding.  Current Visibility and Tablet customers will experience no changes in product capabilities or pricing.

The award-winning Detroit^™ Virtual Technician^™ on-board diagnostic system will maintain the same branding and will remain under the Detroit Connect umbrella.

In addition to the shift in product branding for Visibility and On Board Tablet, the new business arrangement calls for Zonar to assume management of all Virtual Technician subscriptions, including the renewal process, on Detroit Connect’s behalf later this year.

“There’s a significant opportunity to gain important insights through connectivity to ultimately provide a more dynamic customer experience,” said Matthew Pfaffenbach, director of telematics for DTNA. “Our arrangement with Zonar ultimately strengthens our telematics capabilities.” 

Virtual Technician is standard with a two-year subscription on all DTNA vehicles with Detroit heavy duty engines, and Ground Traffic Control is available for order through DTNA dealers on those same models. A factory-installed prep kit for the 2020 tablet is available on Freightliner Cascadia^® trucks with Detroit^™ heavy duty engines, and will be available on Freightliner vocational models, Western Star trucks, and Cummins-powered Freightliner and Western Star trucks later this year.   

Last month, DTNA and Zonar announced that DTNA became a minority investor in Zonar. DTNA and Zonar will continue to operate as separate business entities, but will leverage their new relationship to co-develop new products for DTNA’s customers.

For more information about Daimler Trucks North America, go to www.daimler-trucksnorthamerica.com.

About Daimler Trucks North America
Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.