Telogis

Telogis
Company type	Private
Industry	Software, Telematics
Founded	2001; 25 years ago
Founder	Newth Morris, Jason Koch, Ralph Mason
Fate	Acquired by Verizon
Headquarters	Aliso Viejo, United States
Products	Location-centric software solutions, SaaS fleet management software, geospatial SDKs

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Telogis, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 2025

Telogis was a US-based private enterprise specializing in location-centric software solutions designed for managing mobile assets. The company delivered software as a service (SaaS) that integrated geolocation information into applications tailored for fleet operators, as well as offering geospatial software development kits.

In 2016, Telogis became part of Verizon through acquisition.

History

Established in 2001 by Newth Morris, Jason Koch, and Ralph Mason, Telogis initially concentrated on trunked radio hardware and associated software. Jack Messman, formerly CEO of Novell, held the position of chairman. The business started with capital from its founders and grew to generate nearly $69 million in revenue by 2012.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Telogis utilized SaaS technology to move vehicle data into cloud environments, allowing fleet managers to monitor assets without the need for dedicated on-premises servers. The company expanded through strategic acquisitions: Remote Dynamics in 2010; Intergis in 2011, which broadened its routing and fleet management capabilities for small and mid-sized fleets; and Navtrak in 2012, which improved its commercial navigation services by incorporating real-time road network information.

In 2011, Telogis raised $2.9 million through private funding, followed by a substantial $93 million venture capital investment led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in 2013 to advance its location intelligence platform. Additionally, GM Ventures made a strategic investment in 2014.

On June 21, 2016, Verizon announced it had acquired Telogis to enhance its connected vehicle initiatives. By March 2018, Telogis was rebranded under Verizon Connect together with sister entities Fleetmatics and Verizon Telematics.

Software

Telogis’ software gathers geolocation data from both embedded vehicle hardware and installed devices on mobile platforms, supporting more than 40 hardware types from a dozen manufacturers. It provides a software development kit enabling the creation of location-aware applications for mobile and desktop environments. One notable feature includes compliance with US Federal Government requirements for commercial driver hours of service activity logs.

OEM Agreements

Telogis offers factory-installed telematics solutions for original equipment manufacturers such as Ford, GM, Volvo, Mack, Hino, Isuzu (for US trucks), and Manitowoc. This built-in hardware allows fleet operators to activate vehicle services remotely and access expanded diagnostic data including Diesel Exhaust Fluid quality metrics, detection of water contamination in diesel fuel, and additional trouble codes across body systems, powertrain components, and chassis electronics. For off-road machinery, Telogis collaborates with John Deere.

Certain Freightliner truck models come with a pre-wired option that simplifies the installation process for Telogis tracking devices.

Uses

By October 2013, trucking firms were employing Telogis technology to monitor driver behavior, utilizing collected data to incentivize or discipline personnel. This practice sparked concerns regarding employee privacy. Lewis Rotella, a Niagara Falls councilman, recognized the system’s value in safety monitoring but warned against covert surveillance of staff; he also implemented these devices within his own business operations for safety oversight purposes. Stephen Roy, president of Mack Trucks, highlighted that the software is primarily intended for managing workflow rather than continuous employee monitoring on a minute-by-minute basis.

Recognition

Telogis earned a spot on Inc. Magazine's "Build 100" list in March 2014, recognizing consistent annual growth.
The company was featured in Deloitte's "Technology Fast 500" rankings in November 2013.
In October 2010, Telogis secured a position on the Inc 5000 list.

References