Option to develop M2M solution for the connected car

Option has won an important engineering contract to develop an M2M solution for the connected car.

The development, awarded to Option for its world class RF (Radio Frequency) engineering capabilities, will be completed in 2016. The project includes multiple man-years of engineering and will contribute to the company’s results with revenue & cash generation as from the second half of 2015.

The project more specifically involves the development of a cellular OBD 2 Datalogger solution to monitor driver behavior and is aimed at the high volume consumer market. OBD 2 (On Board Diagnostics) is an automotive term referring to a vehicle’s self-diagnostic and reporting capability. OBD 2 gives users access to the status of the various vehicle subsystems. An OBD 2 Datalogger solution uses a standardized digital communications port to provide real-time data coming from the car. Car manufacturers comply with this standard and most cars are equipped with this type of communications port.

The contract is a turnkey project and includes design, prototyping, field-testing, production engineering and operator certification. The solution will process important car and GPS position information and through its cellular data connection communicate these data to the cloud. This information can be used by Insurance companies to define custom insurance policies.

OBD 2 telematics shipments are expected to experience a double-digit growth in the next 5 years, mainly driven by the global demand of insurance companies.

The development of such a solution requires accumulated expertise of telecommunication technologies and in competitive design, high volume production techniques and project management skills: exactly the reasons why Option was selected.

Read more at: http://m2mworldnews.com/2015/08/19/31213-option-to-develop-m2m-solution-for-the-connected-car/

TomTom Announces a Change in Its Supervisory Board

TomTom (TOM2) today announces that Toine van Laack has decided to step down from the Supervisory Board of TomTom N.V. as of 1 September 2015 due to the fact that he has ended his employment at Janivo Holding B.V. Toine was appointed in 2013 upon the nomination of Janivo Holding B.V. and Dasym Investment Strategies B.V.

“The Supervisory Board of TomTom is sincerely appreciative of Toine for his commitment, expertise and willingness to constructively contribute to the development and growth of the company’s activities over the past years. The Supervisory Board regrets his departure and wishes Toine every success in the future”

Toine van Laack was able to contribute significantly to the company’s strategy during his time as a Supervisory Board member at TomTom, thanks to his knowledge and understanding of the various markets in which TomTom is active. He has also been of great value to the company as a member of the Audit Committee.

“The Supervisory Board of TomTom is sincerely appreciative of Toine for his commitment, expertise and willingness to constructively contribute to the development and growth of the company’s activities over the past years. The Supervisory Board regrets his departure and wishes Toine every success in the future” said Peter Wakkie, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TomTom.

Read more at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150809005018/en/TomTom-Announces-Change-Supervisory-Board

Why automotive electronics is the billion dollar industry of the future

Automotive industry plays a major role for any growing economy and also plays an important role in country’s rapid economic and industrial development. Indian automotive industry contributes significantlyto the overall GDP of the nation and also provides significant business and employment opportunities.

Today’s car is already packed with electronics and, has the highest density of electronic components as compared to other consumer machines. A plethora of technologies powers the car today and these technologies fall into three domains: safety & security, infotainment & telematics, and powertrain (engine and transmission, including the other components as they are an integral part of transmission.) fuel economy.

Infotainment and telematics are addressed by technologies that enable smart traffic management, positioning & location-based services, car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication and in the future, perhaps autonomous driving. The Indian automotive industry is witnessing a phase of rapid transformation and growth, mainly driven by stable economic growth and infrastructure development. Along with the Auto industry the auto components industry is also gearing up to compliment it.

Automotive electronics has gained importance on account of the growing consumer demand for performance, safety, comfort and entertainment. The car of future is also expected to be equipped with even more advanced features that would help prevent accidents, entertain occupants and at the same time is eco-friendly. Automotive companies are also looking to stretch their market by introducing such novel features.

Read more at: http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/autologue/Why-automotive-electronics-is-the-billion-dollar-industry-of-the-future/846

The Future of Automotive Design

Car styling is the pinnacle in the world of design and the epicenter of this creative community is in Southern California. Most auto manufacturers have a studio located here and continue work on advanced and next generation vehicles. When one sees BMWs, Mercedes or Hondas on the road, chances are they were originally dreamed up in sunny Southern California.

Three times a year, a cohort of freshly minted designers graduate from Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California, one of the world's leading car design schools. Students, with backgrounds in everything from illustration to engineering, are drawn here from all corners of the world where they undergo eight accelerated terms, taught by top industry experts. Finally, at the graduation show, they display their vision of the future hoping to send tremors though the industry.

The next generation car designers are taught all aspects of the business through corporate sponsored projects and internships at leading manufacturers. They gain hands on practical experience in sketching, renderings, clay and computer modeling, - in their quest to to infuse passion into the designs. Pay close attention at the shows, and some of the genius that inspired Chris Bangle, Jay May or Henrik Fisker, may spring forth from among the graduates.

Though the styling may be radical, one will not find anti-gravity cars, new means of mobility or other out-of-this-world propulsion ideas. Positioning the graduation projects in a Market - Technology Risk matrix reveals that most concepts are in the incremental innovation category and, in fact, could be directly put into production within years.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soren-petersen/the-future-of-automotive_b_8035340.html

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Connected Cars Market is Expected To Reach $141 Billion, Globally, By 2020

According to a new report by Allied Market Research, titled "Global Connected Cars Market (Technology, Connectivity Solutions, Application, Products & Services and Geography) -Size, Share, Global Trends, Company Profiles, Demand, Insights, Analysis, Research, Report, Opportunities, Segmentation and Forecast, 2013 - 2020", the global connected cars market is forecast to reach $141 Billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 32.7% during the period (2014 - 2020). Integrated connectivity solutions segment is expected to emerge as a preferred connectivity solutions for connected cars, surpassing embedded connectivity solutions segment in 2016. North America currently garners major market share and would maintain the position throughout the forecast period.

To view the report, visit at: http://prn.to/1fnU5R6

The availability of faster communication networks, advanced connectivity solutions and a user friendly interface should drive global connected car market. Also, an enhanced driving experience, offered by connected cars and favorable rules & regulations across numerous countries will fuel the market growth. North America is a relatively mature market for connected cars, as it was amongst the first regions to adopt this new technology. The European connected car market will foresee tremendous growth with the passing of Ecall regulations by the European Parliament. This rule mandates the installation of an Ecall System for every car in production from the year 2015. The eCall system automatically alerts the nearest help service in case of an emergency. This system cuts the emergency service response time by 50% to 60%. The European Union claims that mandating the eCall system could approximately save up to 2,500 lives every year. Following this, Russia and Brazil also look forward to implement a similar kind of legislation into their country. This would also help in tracing cases of car thefts. 

2G, 3G and 4G/LTE are the network technologies that are deployed for connectivity within the cars. Amongst these, 2G technology used for providing connectivity will gradually fade out, and will be replaced by the 3G and LTE technologies. Some of the prime reasons for this technological shift would be the rapidly changing telecommunication technology and the introduction of faster & reliable communication networks.

Key findings of the study:

• 2G network technology will slowly fade out giving way to advanced telecommunication technology namely 3G and 4G
• By 2020, integrated and embedded solutions will be amongst the most popular connectivity solutions in the connected car market and would together account for about 80% of the overall market
• North America and Europe would prove to be the most lucrative markets in terms of revenue generation, whereas the Asia-Pacificmarket will grow fastest

Telefonica, Verizon, Harman, TomTom, AT&T Inc., Ford, BMW Audi and Mercedes Benz are the major market players that are profiled in the report. Collaboration and product launch are the prime corporate strategies adopted by these companies. AT&T and Audi have entered into a collaboration to bring 4G LTE technology to their connected cars. With the connectivity service provided by AT&T, Audi's consumers could avail data plans at a reasonable price. Many automakers are teaming up with software providers in order to improve their connected car services. BMW USA, has collaborated with Apple Inc. for software development solutions. 

Auto production is surging in the US as the car market booms

U.S. industrial output advanced at its strongest pace in eight months in July as auto production surged in a bullish signal for third-quarter economic growth.

Industrial production shot up 0.6 percent last month after a downwardly revised increase of 0.1 percent in June, the Federal Reserve said on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had looked for a gain of just 0.3 percent last month.

The gain in output reflected a 0.8 percent increase in factory production that was spurred by 10.6 percent surge in motor vehicle output that more than offset a June decline.

Mining production edged up 0.2 percent, while utilities production fell 1.0 percent.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-industrial-output-jumps-as-auto-production-surges-2015-8?IR=T