Zetifi's connectivity solutions drive fleet and worker safety
Most organisations would say that their most valuable resources are their people. But that comes into strong focus when those people are far from the office, often on their own and, sometimes, in precarious positions. They might be driving long distances in remote areas or working in a dark basement far from reliable Wi-Fi or cellular data connectivity.
Zetifi has been working with organisations to solve these challenges for almost a decade. Based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, the company has developed a broad suite of hardware and software solutions that prioritise safety as well as connectivity. From its roots supporting farmers with Wi-Fi solutions, it has expanded with fleet management solutions built on an innovative array of products.
"We started as a Wi-Fi connectivity company," explains Dan Winson, the company's CEO. "The 'fi' in Zetifi is about Wi-Fi. The original mission was providing connectivity across farms in rural and remote Australia but over the last eight years we've evolved. We built upon that technology to deliver a wider range of solutions that enable connected fleet technology."
While Australia's telcos boast of covering most of the Australian population, that assumes they are at home. Anyone who has spent time driving across rural areas knows there are vast areas without mobile coverage. And while Low Earth Orbit satellite services are helping to fill that void, they are not perfect.
Smartphones do a good job of aiding communication but they are not always reliable. Batteries can run low and a dropped phone can become useless. This is why UHF two-way radios, which are used by over two million vehicles in Australia, have remained critical to maintain communications. Winson says remote monitoring and management systems must be able to handle multiple platforms.
The company's smart antenna, which can be easily installed to a vehicle, integrates Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and LTE capability using a custom-made system board that enables the worker to take advantage of the best available connectivity. This ensures that there's communications resiliency through multiple communication paths.
As well as supporting communications, fleet management also has a significant role in safety. Using intelligent camera technology, Winson says it's possible to monitor driver behaviour. By pairing the camera data with information from the Onboard Diagnostic (OBD) port in a car, it's possible to get a more complete picture of exactly what is happening in a car.
"You can use an OBD port device to determine very quickly whether someone is driving the way you would like them to. We can take data from cameras and vehicle events, integrate them in our platform to support alerts, escalation, and record keeping. And we can alert a driver if there's a problem through their two-way radio or other communcations device."
Typically, sending regular alerts and checking on drivers was a manual process. Someone at a base would radio through to lone workers every hour to check if they were OK. But by taking all the available signals, it's possible to understand the worker's context and only send alerts if needed.
For example, if the worker is driving and in the expected location, there's no need to contact them. And the tracking can be turned off when the person is within preset boundaries, so their privacy is not invaded. That is powered through AI agents that integrate with Microsoft Copilot – one of Zetifi's key partners.
The software integration is handled through APIs. Rather than developing its own dashboard technology, using APIs enables it to send data directly to the tools customers are already using. That can mean sending alerts to Microsoft Teams, email or into some other platform. That includes telematics from the vehicle as well as information from cameras.
A typical workflow starts when an event is detected in the field that triggers an alert. That can mean that every time someone picks up their phone in the car, the camera detects that and triggers an email or an SMS to that person's manager.
"That creates a lot of noise," Winson says. "As a result, the alerts get dialled down or ignored. What we're doing sending the alert to AI agents that analyse the organisation's policy, analyse the events, and then decide how to proceed - whether to escalate, coach or set a reminder to review the safe driving policy with the driver."
This creates an audit trail without having to have a person in the loop at every step. This reduces excessive admin burden.
An often underappreciated benefit of effective fleet management is the peace of mind it gives lone workers. Knowing there's someone keeping an eye on their location and movements helps reduce the anxiety that can come from being alone in potentially dangerous situations.
Zetifi's evolution from delivering rural‑Wi‑Fi solutions to creating full‑stack fleet‑connectivity solutions underscores that safety and reliable communication go hand in hand. Their smart antennas, on‑board diagnostics, third-party AI cameras and policy‑driven alert logic turn raw data into actionable insight.
As Australia's networks grow smarter and satellite links mature, Zetifi's blend of hardware, third-party AI cameras and seamless integration through APIs positions it to keep teams safe and connected, wherever they are.