New services announced recently by Internet service providers mean that parts of the country have access to broadband speeds of up to 24 megabits per second (many connection currently run at 1 or 2 mbps or less). These faster connections will allow fleet e-commerce services to be developed including high resolution, full screen video links and ever more detailed transaction information.

Ken Trinder, head of business development at Epyx said: “The move seen over the last five years from old style dial-up Internet connections to basic broadband was the technological step that allowed fleets to really start to make use of the efficiencies that e-commerce products had to offer, with products like 1link now in use by fleets covering more than two million vehicles.

“The next step to high speed broadband services will enable us to take another step forward, bringing a whole new level of functionality. As the availability of this type of service increases, we’ll be developing products to match,” he said. “This type of technology is growing ever more central to the way fleets are managed, and more and more companies are waking up to the huge potential that exists for continuing to drive down fleet costs and increase service levels.”