Photo courtesy of GM.

Photo courtesy of GM.

General Motors will offer a connectivity service powered by MapAnything, Inc. that combines telematics fleet management and customer relationship management to fleets in a subscription service, GM has announced.

Fleets can now sign up for the service known as MapAnything Live through GM's OnStar hardware that's embedded in many of its vehicles.

MapAnything, which is part of the Salesforce Ventures investment group, will integrate its geo-productivity software into connected GM vehicles sold to businesses and corporations. The company is connecting its cloud-based network directly to GM OnStar systems. MapAnything will then use the real-time vehicle data to improve the workflow and allow sales representatives to be more productive.

The service has been enabled by in-vehicle 4G LTE, which is "fueling double-digit annual growth in the multibillion-dollar market for fleet management software, and it's helping Chevrolet and OnStar win new business," said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president with GM Fleet.

"We are expanding our relationships with technology companies because customer interest is so high," Peper said. "The reasons are simple and compelling. Inside the data streams are the critical insights fleet managers need to help their drivers stay safe and productive, and their operating costs as low as possible."

Nearly a third of sales managers estimate their representatives spend less than half their time actively selling because of time lost to scheduling and commuting to customer meetings, according to data from a survey conducted by MapAnything and Selling Power.

Telematics data pulled by the system includes vehicle diagnostics such as location, idle time, fuel tank capacity, speed, ignition state, hard braking, and acceleration. The system will allow sales reps optimize their routes based on traffic, time of day, and business priorities.

Earlier this year, Charlotte, N.C.-based MapAnything secured a $33.1-million round of funding via corporate paper, including an investment from former NBA commissioner David Stern. The company was founded in 2009.

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