From integrated radio and entertainment, to navigation systems and hands free mobile, the car has continuously evolved to reflect the changing needs of a modern lifestyle.
As one of the fastest growing markets in the IoT landscape, the connected car will provide the ultimate platform for individual IoT networks, meeting consumer demand for continuous connectivity, driving development in the smart transport industry and bridging the gap between our connected personal and business lives. In just four years, Juniper expects that 20% of passenger vehicles globally will be connected.
While the level of connectivity and type of functionality integrated into the connected car will vary greatly, consumers can expect to find intricacies as unique as a curfew lock for young drivers, automated emergency alerts in the case of an accident, directions to free parking, enhanced voice control over SMS and social media, as well as the ability to play music from your phone or PC. This enhanced functionality will fundamentally change the driving experience, with the potential to reinvigorate the automotive industry and even recruit consumers who have never previously driven or owned a car. A 2014 McKinsey survey of new car buyers found that 13% were no longer prepared to even consider a new vehicle that lacked Internet access and over a quarter prioritize connectivity over engine power and fuel efficiency.
As a physical and virtual bridge between consumers’ personal and business lives, the Connected Car presents extensive opportunities for the industry to extend their services beyond manufacturing hardware. From public notices, navigation services, entertainment, business services and advertising, the Connected Car unlocks potential for diverse industries to increase their engagement with existing and potential customers, allowing the Connected Car manufactures, and software service providers to monetize and grow their reach as a result. The opportunity to access additional revenue streams could fundamentally transform the business operations and culture of the car manufacturing industry- they may no longer confine themselves to providers of hardware, but invest in a car as a platform – a gateway to the wider connected world. Alternatively, the software providers may see this as an opportunity to extend their reach into manufacturing, building out their brand across connected devices, including the Connected Car. Such is the trend, with Google Cars.
While the potential benefits for both manufactures and software providers are significant, there are also genuine challenges that every providers will face in developing and delivering such complex services. Creating and connecting the functionality that an all-encompassing Connected Car could achieve will require enormous collaboration and investment, supported by expertise in an area with a limited pool of specialists. Car manufactures will need to work across many different platforms, devices, apps and industry standards.
To ensure their success, providers of the Connected Car will need to make their models flexible enough, not only to offer interoperability with current devices and standards, but also to allow the car to keep up with accelerating consumer trends and emerging technologies. Beyond the technical challenges, providers will also need to identify the best way to monetize additional functionality to extend the life and value of the car; this will require in-depth consumer insights. Finally, providers will need to prioritize security and safety to protect their customers and allay consumer concerns. This will be critical to ensuring growth in the industry. The challenges that manufacturers and integrated system operators will need to overcome will be vast, but getting the solution right will offer unparalleled benefits to the automotive industry, businesses and consumers.
ADB’s Personal IoT solutions offers businesses access to trusted third parties, technical solutions with consumer experience at the core of the design and tailored modeling designed to increase your ARPU and develop profitable monetization strategies. Our end-to-end solutions creates every opportunity to increase the value of products and services across the growing network of connected devices; from integrated analytics to mobile apps, open source communities and remote management gateways, we help companies connect across the connected car, home and business world.