Telematics is the technology of sending, receiving and storing information via telecommunication devices. In some cases, telematics can also effect control on remote objects.

Although the application of telematics primarily advanced in vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, logistics etc, with the advent of the Internet of Things, the scope of telematics has evolved to encompass almost every aspect of life.

Combined with the Global Positioning System, telematics acquired a new dimension of location and with the popularity of smartphones, highly innovative, simple and effective mobility solutions combining telematics and location-based services became possible and popular.

Telematics is a translation of the French word télématique which was first coined by Simon Nora and Alain Minc in a 1978 report to the French government on the computerization of society. It referred to the transfer of information over telecommunications and was a merging of the French words télécommunications (“telecommunications”) and informatique (“computing science”). The original broad meaning of telematics continues to be used in academic fields but in commerce, it now generally means vehicle telematics.