Mobile workforce solutions provider Verizon Connect announced the launch of Workforce, a field service product designed specifically for the needs of fleet managers and fleet-based business owners. Workforce will make its industry debut at the Work Truck Show, which is being held this week in Indianapolis.

Verizon Connect is a new entity that unifies the Verizon Telematics, Fleetmatics, and Telogis brands. With Workforce, the company offers four critical features — intelligent dispatch, commercial navigation, customer ETAs, and strategic planning — on a single, platform, said Shaz Shaukat, Verizon Connect's product management leader and innovator.

"We initially offered each of these features as individual solutions," Shaukat said. "Put together, under one platform, Workforce is a great value for our customers."

The four key components of Workforce include:

1. Intelligent dispatch: This feature enhances dispatch by including such factors as the driver's skillsets, licenses, and security clearances, as well as vehicular capacity. Taking these criteria into consideration should help fleet managers avoid onsite delays, reducing dispatch times and minimizing the need for follow-up visits.

2. Commercial navigation: Consumer-grade navigation systems can get drivers from Point A to Point B, but they don't take into account the limitations placed on commercial trucks. Workforce's commercial navigation feature can help drivers avoid restricted roads, low bridges, and truck-specific speed limits. It can also ensure they access each job site from the correct entrance.

3. Customer ETAs: This feature was designed to allow fleets to keep their customers apprised of each driver's estimated time of arrival, enhancing the customer experience and reducing the need for "check-in" phone calls. Customers can be updated via text or the fleet's customer-facing web portal or mobile app.

4. Strategic planning: Growing businesses need strategic planning to properly plan for expansions and acquisitions. This feature helps fleets create and compare "what-if" scenarios, adding a new layer of insight to such decisions as locations, resource allocation, and revised service-level agreements.

Workforce is available in three plans designed for applications ranging from simple to enterprise-level, according to the provider.