Tracking service firm stays ahead with Sun Business M2M solutions

MANILA, Philippines - Who would think that a lean team of 15 can efficiently and effectively manage and monitor thousands of assets for an extensive roster of clients?

For WRU GPS Tracking and Navigation, provider of comprehensive Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping and tracking services for assets such as fleet vehicles, equipment and personnel, the key to success is a reliable business solutions provider.

According to its chief executive officer, Teng Sorreta, the best value M2M Data Plan of Sun Business has helped pave the way for WRU to rev up its business and stay ahead of the pack.

“I have been an IT professional since the 1990s,” said Sorreta. “This provided me with the background and exposure that eventually led me to GPS technology.”

Back in the day, Sorreta and his colleagues engineered GPS for various corporations and even a handful of local government units. “In the course of doing that, I experimented with GPS tracking. I monitored my own people, my own cars, and even my own family,” he said. Eventually, he tried selling the service to his friends and business contracts.

That was the birth of WRU. “In a matter of months, we got a good number of clients,” he said. With key system enhancements and service developments, WRU landed even bigger deals, including a partnership with the PLDT group.

“We chose Sun Cellular because of the wide range of service available at a reasonably priced package,” said Sorreta when asked why he opted to partner with Sun Business.

Included in his Sun Business bundle are machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity solutions that help streamline and integrate business processes using SIM-based services.

“Sun was very flexible and provided me with a customized business bundle,” said Sorreta.

Today, WRU avails itself of Sun’s M2M data which comes with a fixed volume of data per month, as well as SMS and calling services. These services enable WRU to monitor clients’ assets, as well as allow them to communicate with their workforce and clients regularly.

Because of the reliability and network reach of Sun services, Sorreta said WRU clients have opted to use Sun services as well. “I have some clients who started using Sun because of the unlimited communication service. In fact, we have a client who used to spend significantly on prepaid load for his fleet drivers. Now, with the help of Sun, our client is able to reach and check the fleet status regularly and affordably,” he said.

“By taking advantage of Sun’s network, our GPS devices can send updates in real-time, all the time, from Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao,” said Sorreta.

The WRU chief said they also find a huge advantage from the fact that they can swiftly connect their tracking devices, and that they can receive updates in shorter intervals — whether on a per minute rate, or even faster.

“We monitor some vehicles like aircraft and armored cars that require to send updates every 10 seconds or so. Sun allows us to do that with no worries on the expenses or on the quality of service,” he said.

Sorreta also explained that this translates to higher productivity of the team. “With the kind of service that Sun provides, we encounter minimal customer issues. We are able to maximize our productivity and focus more time on rolling out more tracking systems,” he said.

The quick updates powered by Sun, coupled with Sun’s affordable offers, benefit not only the WRU team but their clients as well. To date, WRU serves around 300 customers of various sizes — from big enterprises to families, and even pet owners.

“Because of the reliability of our tracking services, a client that delivers ice cream is able to monitor deliveries and identify breakdowns of vehicle freezers. They are thus able to quickly respond to the situation and make fleet transfers or substitutions as necessary,” said Sorreta.

WRU clients also get a sense of security and peace of mind. As Sorreta explained: “Pilferage is a prevalent problem in the logistics industry and through our services, fleet managers can easily track when and where an asset is at any specific time, and can easily flag any suspicious movement. Pet owners, on the other hand, are able to use small tracking devices for their pets to keep track of their locations and to make sure that they are being taken care of in their owner’s absence.”

In the end, WRU seeks to grow bigger as the company continues to expand its reach within the country. And with Sun Business’ M2M offering, the tracking and navigation systems provider is more than optimistic that it can further innovate to provide best value services to their clients.

Sun Business is the enterprise arm of Sun Cellular that caters to business solutions of small and medium enterprises. Sun Business is an alliance partner of PLDT SME Nation.