Any data, from any source: why we went for the open platform approach

20 Jun 2025

Here’s a frustrating truth: despite the wealth of telematics data at their fingertips, fleet professionals are often forced to rely on instinct rather than evidence. Why this paradox?

If you’re like many fleet managers we talk to, the information you need — vehicle diagnostics, driver behaviors, fuel levels, GPS locations — is likely scattered across multiple systems and dashboards. Each speaking its own language or telling a slightly different story.

And the real challenge is this: how can you trust the data for making critical decisions if you can’t even get it to talk to each other?

That’s why we built SCALAR from the ground up with a simple but powerful focus — to create a secure home for all your critical data and turn it into knowledge you can act on with confidence. Before we talk about why this matters so much for the future of your operations, let’s look at what telematics data is and where it all comes from.

The fleet management data landscape: understanding your sources

Modern fleet telematics draws from many sources, each providing unique insights into different aspects of your operation:

You have vehicle performance metrics (such as engine usage, tire-pressure and temperature, or braking performance), fuel consumption and mileage readings, and even battery performance if you have EVs — plus things like charging grid and charging session information.
Your tachographs record driving and resting times, while onboard GPS systems track and trace your assets’ location and movements in real time.
Your trailer telematics report on cargo temperature and humidity, door lock status, braking system performance, or axle loads.
Driver monitoring systems get insights into how your assets are being driven: braking patterns, acceleration habits, cornering styles, excessive idling.

Some of it comes from factory-fitted hardware. Some from various aftermarket devices installed on your vehicles over time. And some from specialized systems you added later to do a job that your existing solution couldn’t handle.

OEM vs third-party solutions: what’s the difference?

Broadly speaking, it all starts with a telematics device (also known as connectivity device or black box) that connects to the CAN bus — your vehicle’s central communication system — and gathers raw data from the various computer systems that make up a modern vehicle. This data is transmitted to a centralized server through cellular or satellite networks, where it’s cleaned up and organized for further processing. The processed data is then displayed on a computer screen through various software tools. And this is where the similarities end, and your data starts going all over the place.

The factory-fitted silos of OEM telematics

When you buy a newly produced truck from a brand like Volvo, Daimler, or Scania, quite often it comes with the telematics device already built in at the factory. These devices are great at capturing detailed diagnostic information from the vehicle’s systems. But the data sits on the manufacturer’s cloud platform and, to access it, you need to subscribe to their dedicated software that only “sees” that brand’s vehicles.

The aftermarket maze of third-party solutions

The more flexible approach is third-party systems, which are what we call “brand-agnostic”. This means you can install them on any vehicle in your fleet — whatever the year, make or model. The data is then sent to the providers’ servers and managed on their software. There’s an endless choice of aftermarket solutions today for tracking all aspects of fleet operations, but quality and specialization vary. In practice, you could end up with one tool for driver monitoring, another for tacho compliance, and so on.

On top of that, third-party solutions may lack the depth of diagnostic data that OEM systems capture. To get around that, some providers work with OEM brands to integrate data from built-in devices into their fleet tracking software. But these partnerships don’t cover every OEM — for instance, a third-party vendor might work with Daimler but not with Volvo. So, if your fleet is made up of more than one brand, you might only get these insights for some of your trucks, but not all.

The SCALAR approach: unified data across the fleet ecosystem

With all of that, it’s easy to see where the problem starts: if your fleet is a mix of older vehicles and newer assets from different manufacturers, chances are you’re flipping between multiple OEM screens and any number of third-party dashboards. And you’re only seeing one part of the story at a time. Your decisions might miss the mark. You might start making assumptions or start relying on what “feels right”.

So we built our orchestration platform to work with any data, from any app. Not just from a select list of partners and integrations — but literally from anywhere. Because, when all your data works together under the same roof where it’s always kept accurate, consistent, and up to date, that’s when you become truly data-driven.

That roof is called the SCALAR Lakehouse — here’s a closer look at how the SCALAR Lakehouse powers tomorrow’s intelligent fleets.

Why unifying data matters more than ever

As fleets grow more connected, the volume of data will grow too. And so will concerns over cybersecurity, scalability, and compatibility. In addition to giving you a whole new level of insight, moving away from conventional siloed systems solves three big challenges:

1. It minimizes exposure to cybersecurity risks. Every separate system is another potential weak spot. Our approach reduces risk by providing a central point of access, with consistent authentication, cybersecurity, and GDPR compliance protocols — plus a 24/7 monitoring and support team for near-zero platform disruptions.

2. It allows you to scale and grow effortlessly. Because it’s built to be open from the get-go, you don’t need to redesign your whole setup every time you add new vehicle types, functions, users, or systems. SCALAR grows effortlessly to meet your changing needs.

3. It’s future-ready. Electric vehicles come with their own data requirements; autonomous and V2X technologies are just around the corner, and regulations keep changing. An open architecture means you’re ready for what comes next.

Getting the most out of your telematics data

With SCALAR, it doesn’t matter where your data comes from or who you want to share it with. What matters is that you have all the insights you need to understand your business better and grow with confidence — whether you manage 50 or 5,000 vehicles.

You know that route you thought would be the cheapest? Turns out with this weather and this load, it’s better to take the longer route. Or those brake pads that need replacement more often than you’d expect? Turns out this only happens with certain drivers on certain routes. Or maybe you want to show your trailer manufacturer how you’re using your trailers to make sure they handle your warranty claims quickly and fairly.

Want to see how data can work for your business when it all comes together in sync? Then talk to us to learn about our open platform architecture and advanced data services.

Request a demo

First name

Last name

Business Email

Company

Type of fleet

Country

Country Code

Phone

marketing coms

I would like to receive marketing communications regarding ZF products, services and events. I can unsubscribe at any time.

By registering, you confirm that you agree to the storing and processing of your personal data by ZF as described in the data protection notice

Share