MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 23, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- OTI (GER:OT5), today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, OTI Africa, together with BP Africa, has signed commitments with four prominent commercial fleet companies to join the FuelMaster network in South Africa that is expected to significantly increase the on going revenues and transaction the system generates. FuelMaster is BP's chosen brand name for OTI's Gasoline Management System (GMS) in the African market.
The four fleet companies joining the FuelMaster network, spanning a range of industries from public transportation to packaged goods, have each enrolled over 600 company vehicles, for a total of approximately 2,750 vehicles added to the system. In particular, a pilot involving 1,000 vehicles of a major utility in South Africa, if successful, has the potential to expand to an additional 18,000 vehicles. Additional pilots are underway with a prominent rental car agency and a large furniture and appliances retailer, which not only expand the set of fleet companies participating in the FuelMaster network, but also greatly increase the number of vehicles fueling exclusively at BP stations. As a result of the FuelMaster system, BP has increased its market share in these African markets. OTI receives transaction fees based on fuel volumes through the FuelMaster system, in addition to on-going service fees.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome these new fleet companies to the FuelMaster network," said Charlotte Hambly-Nuss, Managing Director of OTI Africa. "We have proven the business case to customers which were not previously contracted to BP for their fuel supply, thereby demonstrating how OTI's superior technology drives key core business to BP."
OTI has been appointed by BP to provide encoding, installation, driver training, maintenance, repair, quality control, customer care, technical support, and development services for the FuelMaster program.
"Our relationship with BP South Africa exemplifies our objective of participating in multiple revenue streams of projects, including support fees and transaction fees," said Ohad Bashan, responsible for Global Marketing at OTI.
How FuelMaster Works
Each FuelMaster vehicle is fitted with an antenna mounted around the fuel tank inlet, connected to a smart card installed in the vehicle. The smart card provides unique identification for each vehicle, and is also capable of recording information such as odometer readings. A matching antenna installed on the pump nozzle is connected to the site computer. When the pump nozzle enters the fuel inlet, the smart card communicates with the site computer. Once the computer is satisfied that a legitimate driver is attempting to fuel an authorized vehicle with the proper fuel grade, the pump will begin dispensing fuel. During refueling, operating data from the smart card is transmitted to the computer for reporting purposes. Removing the nozzle will immediately stop the flow of fuel. Comprehensive fuel management reports are generated and provided to fleet operators on a regular basis.
A network of over 600 FuelMaster sites in 11 African countries from South Africa to Kenya provide convenient fueling for over 20,000 fleet drivers while assisting fleet managers in providing a new level of accuracy in fuel records and route tracking for fleet traffic. Petroleum solutions offered by OTI are installed around the world including sites in Turkey, Europe, South America, the United States, and more.
About OTI
Established in 1990, OTI (On Track Innovations) designs and develops contactless microprocessor-based smart card technology to address the needs of a wide variety of markets. Applications developed by OTI include products for mass transit, parking, gas management systems, loyalty schemes, identification and secure campuses. OTI has regional offices in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa to market and support its products. The company was awarded the prestigious ESCAT Award for smart card inno-vation in both 1998 and 2000. Visit OTI on the Internet at www.oti.co.il.
OTI Africa, a subsidiary of OTI Limited, is responsible for the distribution, installation and maintenance of OTI's products and technology in the African market. Users of the OTI technology have access to an experienced and professional management team who lead and guide dedicated functions in sales, marketing, installation, technical, development and support services.