U Mobile has signed an agreement with Atilze Digital to provide cellular network facilities for connected car solutions. This will see the telco provide 3G and LTE connectivity for Atilze’s devices, allowing car owners to access cloud solutions for their vehicles.
Connected car solutions are not particularly new, although they are largely concentrated on more premium vehicles. These are things like all round proximity sensors (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems or ADAS) and onboard diagnostic systems. That said, Atilze sells many of these sensors that can be installed as third party equipment for other cars.
The company cites statistics that connected ADAS on commercial vehicles is capable of reducing accidents by up to 80 percent. Which is part of why it is focusing on getting the system onto Malaysian roads.
Then there is the OBDii system; an onboard diagnostic system that allows car owners to remotely check on the status of the vehicle. Through cloud processing, it is capable of alerting car owners about any impending problems that might occur, offers GPS tracking, and can even remind owners about maintenance requirements.
Data collected from connected ADAS and OBDii could also be used for Usage Based Insurance products. This adjusts insurance premiums based on how the user drives, and has become possible in Malaysia with the Insurance Detariffication that came into effect on 1 July 2017.
Atilze’s solution is currently only available on selected Volkswagen cars, although it is in talks with other car OEMs. Companies like Mazda, Ford, and even Proton are being engaged; but there is nothing to report on the matter yet.
