Amber Connect launches in Mideast via Dubai

Technology company Amber Connect has set up shop in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The office, with an initial staff of 10 and an investment of US$500,000, will act as regional headquarters from which Amber will target 19 countries in the Middle East.

Hitting the target would grow the company’s footprint beyond 100 markets in which its services are sold.

Launched in Jamaica as a vehicle tracking tech provider, Amber also offers artificial intelligence and telematics solutions.

“The UAE is one massive hub that is hungry for technology. They are willing to spend, and I believe that we have the right mix to take on these 19 countries,” said Amber Group CEO Dushyant Savadia.

“We will focus on the entire Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and everywhere,” he added.

The car market in the oil-rich Middle East is notable for the sheer number of so-called ‘hyper cars’, such as Lamborghinis, Bugattis and Ferraris, in operation there. A number of car rental operators allow those who are so minded to rent the car of their dreams, but the risk of loss is great.

As a first step, Amber is already partnering with several rental companies and other players with such cars, some with seven-digit price tags, to install Amber tracking devices.

“Obviously, for security reasons, we cannot disclose either the companies or the individuals, but this is a very fast-growing market segment for us, especially in the Middle East,” he told the Financial Gleaner.

The company has about 30 products to suit different applications. The year-end move to the Middle East will also see the company deploying more AI-enhanced solutions, which the company said has been incorporated into its vehicle tracking systems for both consumers and fleets.

Using AI, the Amber system analyses datasets to provide predictive insights to fleet managers, he said. The tool also allows individual drivers to make safer and more fuel-efficient decisions.

“That enhances safety, peace of mind, and gives big savings through reduced repair expenses, insurance premiums, and fuel costs,” Savadia said.

On the local front, Amber is introducing another dimension to its vehicle tracking service. It’s facing heavy competition from the likes of KingAlarm, Hawkeye and a number of localised small players in Portmore, St Catherine, the Kingston and eastern Jamaica, but Savadia says Amber is hoping to disrupt the market by offering a free dashcam with every vehicle tracking device it sells.

“We have been championing safety. These dashcams come with speakers and microphones, and record all events and accidents so that insurance claims become better because there is evidence. This eliminates a lot of risks that the driver faces,” he said.

In recent years, Jamaican insurance companies have been offering discounts to customers who install tracking devices in their vehicles. Savadia says such discounts are becoming a feature of operations for insurance companies in global markets.

business@gleanerjm.com