MARKHAM, ON – Video telematics manufacturer Lytx has opened a new research and development facility just north of Toronto.

The 13,000-square-foot facility in Markham, Ontario will play host to Canadian hardware and software development teams, as well as regional sales and client operations teams, with capacity for up to 40 employees. Current Toronto-based employees began to occupy the larger facility July 17, with more employees being added on an as-needed basis, Tonya Cross, senior vice president – human capital, said in an email.

“We had a small development team already located in Toronto, and because the city has emerged as a top technology hub, we decided to make it a spot for expanded software and hardware research and development, include sales and client functions, and move to a larger Lytx Canada facility,” Cross said.

Cross said the team in Canada, which contains both the hardware and software components, is important to operating and improving Lytx’s flagship product, the DriveCam video safety program.

“People often look at our DriveCam safety program as hardware-centered because of the event recorder used to capture data and video clips, but it’s really driven by software, and the intelligent use of data to predict fleet risk as it relates to driving behavior,” said Cross. “Our Lytx Canada team represents both sides of the equation – hardware and software – to help us expand how we use data to get drivers and their cargo to their destinations safely.”

DriveCam products are currently operated by nearly 650,000 drivers worldwide, according to Lytx.