Product Q&A: Bobcat Machine IQ Wireless Communications

Published on January 12, 2021

Make the most of your working hours – and better understand the health and security of your machine – with telematics that keeps you connected. Enter Bobcat Machine IQ wireless communications. Learn about the latest digital solution from Bobcat with product marketing manager Britta Kopp.

What Is Bobcat Machine IQ?

Bobcat Machine IQ is a digital telematics system that helps Bobcat equipment owners access machine info in real time from any location or device. Available for skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders and mini excavators, Machine IQ lets you easily check the health, maintenance, security and performance of each connected machine at any time. You can discover unplanned maintenance issues and craft a planned maintenance program tailored to how you use your equipment. You can also analyze the efficiency – and even possible misuse – of your fleet by operators. Before Machine IQ, equipment owners simply guessed when to go into the shop. Service was reactive rather than proactive. With Machine IQ, you always have a pulse on your machine’s security and health.

How Do I Access Information From Machine IQ?

You can access Machine IQ data through the Bobcat Owner Portal, an online hub for Bobcat equipment owners. The Owner Portal helps owners tap into the full potential of their machine and all things Bobcat: new products, apps and more. You’ll be able to monitor all your machines, create custom names for each and click into each machine’s specific profile.

The Owner Portal ties your machines to an account rather than a specific user. This allows you to create one company account and grant access to specific users. You’re always in full control over who has access to your equipment data.

How Do I Create a Machine IQ Account?

There are two ways. Option one is to go through your dealer. This is the easiest method. Your dealer will create your account and then populate all of your machines into the Machine IQ system for you. All you have to do is finish the account setup process once they send you the invitation. The second way is to visit my.bobcat.com and do all of the front-end work on your own, and then reach out to your dealer to populate all of your machines into the account.

What’s Included in Each Machine IQ Account Package Option?

When Bobcat Machine IQ launched in 2019, there was only one package available. Now you can choose between two options to best fit your specific needs as an equipment owner. The Basic Machine IQ package provides you with standard machine information, including GPS location and location history, maintenance interval hours and fuel level, as well as the ability to customize the “names” of the machines associated with your account.

The Health & Security Machine IQ package includes all of the features in the Basic package plus additional premium data points: maintenance email alerts, geofence and curfew security notifications, fault code notifications and troubleshooting, idle time vs. working time reports, fuel usage reports and in-portal notification management.

Once your dealer has added your machines to your account, you can manage your package subscription yourself. If you start off with the Basic package and want to upgrade to the Health & Security package, you can do that the Owner Portal under Assets>Manage Subscriptions.

Ready to maximize your equipment investment? With Bobcat Machine IQ, fleet management has never been easier. Watch this video to learn even more about Bobcat Machine IQ straight from our experts, sign up for my.Bobcat.com and register your machines.