MINNEAPOLIS — IC Bus will now offer OnCommand Connection, Navistar’s open architecture remote diagnostic system, as a standard feature on all IC Bus school buses using an approved telematics partner.

OnCommand Connection integrates with a customer's existing telematics provider, regardless of vehicle make, to transmit performance and diagnostic-related data to the system, company officials said. OnCommand Connection then interprets this data to create vehicle health reports with recommended actions based on operating conditions and the severity level of any fault codes.

“For the commercial truck industry ... we have customers across [the] U.S. and Canada already experiencing tangible, real-world benefits of OnCommand Connection,” said Trish Reed, vice president and general manager of IC Bus. “We are now excited to bring this offering to the school bus market and help our customers keep their buses on time and reduce maintenance costs.”

Currently, OnCommand Connection is available as a standard, no-charge option on all new school buses, including competitive models, model year 2007 and newer, equipped with partnering telematics providers.

In addition, IC Bus is offering a telematics credit — the telematics hardware and a two-year data plan from one of several telematics service providers will be standard and available at no cost to the customer through this program, according to the company. Hardware and data from other telematics service provider partners will be partially covered by this program. The credit bundle goes into effect on new orders placed since July 1, 2015, in the U.S. and Canada, and will be available to customers buying directly through the IC Bus dealer organization.  

IC Bus has also added Tyler Technologies Inc., a supplier of end-to-end information management solutions and services for local governments, as an integrated partner for its school transportation business. IC Bus and Tyler Technologies have integrated software and hardware to give school districts visibility into the health of the vehicle and severity of issues.

“This partnership not only allows our customers to access OnCommand Connection, but also provides access to other school transportation solutions that Tyler offers in areas such as routing, student tracking and more,” said Mike Cerilli, vice president and general manager of Navistar’s connected vehicle business.

“We’re pleased to work with IC Bus, not only because dealer-installed telematics is convenient for our clients, but because, like Tyler, IC Bus wants to help school districts get the most from their school bus fleet investments,” said Ted Thien, senior vice president and general manager of Tyler’s Versatrans solution.

For more information, see IC Bus representatives at the National School Transportation Association conference, taking place in Minneapolis from July 18 to 22, or visit www.OnCommandConnection.com.