License plate recognition (LPR) technology has been used for decades across the world by law enforcement agencies to help generate leads and close cases. Deployed in fixed, mobile and portable configurations, LPR camera systems take photos of vehicles and accurately extract license plate, make and model data with date, time and GPS. Detections can trigger real-time alerts to improve safety and productivity, but more importantly, can be searched and analyzed to uncover insights that aid investigations and inform future decisions.
Originally developed by Vigilant Solutions, which Motorola Solutions acquired in 2019, Vehicle Manager has been the go-to solution for law enforcement agencies seeking powerful LPR software. But even as features evolved and new capabilities were added over the years, the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) remained largely unchanged. While powerful, this meant that using VehicleManager was not as simple and intuitive as our customers want and need to get the most out of their system.
That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the launch of the completely redesigned VehicleManager. We’ve taken the best features of our software and our patented analytics, and redesigned them from the ground up, focusing on simplicity, intuitiveness, and efficiency. This enhanced experience enables officers and investigators to quickly access the information they need, making them more effective in their daily work.
The New VehicleManager: A Powerful Tool for Today’s Law Enforcement
VehicleManager empowers law enforcement to move beyond basic license plate recognition and truly leverage the power of vehicle intelligence. This means going beyond simple searches and hot lists to uncover deeper insights, generate leads, and solve cases more effectively.
VehicleManager today is packed with features that transform LPR data into actionable intelligence.
- Find vehicles of interest: Easily search for, find and review the location history of a vehicle of interest and determine where it may be located in the future. This is useful in quickly finding a vehicle of interest involved in a violent crime, a missing person or an abduction.
- Discover new leads: Jumpstart your investigation by identifying vehicles you may not have known were connected to each other or specific locations. This can help you get a better understanding of criminal networks perpetrating anything from trafficking and smuggling to burglaries and thefts.
- Heighten your awareness: Configure and share hot lists and alerts for vehicles of interest to your team. Receive alerts and access tools anywhere.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Transformation
This redesign wasn’t just about changing the look and feel; it was about fundamentally improving how people interact with the software. A collaborative effort between our product engineers, UI/UX designers, and product managers created a truly transformative experience.
“We really needed to rebound our experience and give our users the right tools,” says Lia Fadeeva, Senior UX Designer. ”We did extensive user research – meeting with end users and testing designs at each stage of the process. We wanted to make this redesign intuitive, simple, and easy for officers and investigators to jump in, start searching, and streamline their workflow.”
How VehicleManager Evolved
The journey to the new VehicleManager wasn’t a sudden shift; it was a gradual evolution fueled by the needs of law enforcement agencies. “Our original software started out as just housing data collected by LPR cameras,” explains Tammy Jorgensen, Product Manager. “As it’s grown, we’ve increased the types of analytics that can be run on the data, as well as the customer base that’s attached to it.”
Jeremy Workman, Senior Manager of Engineering Operations, adds: “Even the name of our software has evolved. It was first called ‘PlateSearch’, but the name changed when we added the ability to search for a vehicle with information other than just a license plate. Users can now search for vehicles with additional vehicle facets, like make, model and color.” Especially helpful in cases when a witness only remembers part of a plate, or when a vehicle of interest is without a license plate entirely.
The Future of VehicleManager:
The team behind VehicleManager is committed to continuous improvement. “We’re going to be adding in new functionalities and even better searching. All of these will be seamlessly integrated into the new UI platform, leveling-up the experience for investigative users.” explains Tammy Jorgensen.
Jeremy Workman added, “Where we’ll also see a change is in the ‘easy button’. Making the workflow to find vehicles of interest easier than ever before so users don’t have to be data scientists to find what they’re looking for. They’ll be able to use our advanced analytics to help guide them to their vehicle of interest, faster.”
The team is also working on connecting VehicleManager with other Motorola Solutions software to create a more holistic view of data. “We’re enhancing integrations with our situational awareness software, CommandCentral Aware, to create more of a data sharing component, not just internally within the product but also externally,” explains Jeremy Workman.
Go Beyond Basic LPR. Do More with VehicleManager.
The new VehicleManager represents a significant leap forward – enabling users to go beyond basic LPR searches and alerts. By focusing on user needs and building an intuitive experience, we’ve made the power of VehicleManager accessible to everyone. This will ultimately help law enforcement agencies better utilize their resources, improve efficiency, and enhance the safety of their communities.
Are you ready to experience the new VehicleManager for yourself?
