From telematics to new mobility – a look at transportation IoT
Take a look at the state of connected vehicles today, and the strategies needed to take connected transportation to the next level.
Fleet management and telematics applications have become well-established features in the first generations of connected vehicles. The data generated from those vehicles is now laying the groundwork for a wider transportation IoT.
But to capture the promises of new mobility and IoT, manufacturers need to evolve their connected offerings to the next level. Telematics and fleet management applications are no longer a nice bonus, they are must-haves in every car, truck, bus, yellow machine – or any other piece of equipment involved in transportation and logistics.
Data is the fuel for transportation IoT
Finding out how the IoT transport ecosystem fits together will require new ways of working. This ecosystem is expanding to include everyone from application developers and third party service providers to city planners and traffic officials.
The data that flows between each point in the ecosystem holds a value that is waiting to be unlocked. Inside that data is the formula for safer vehicles, more efficient transportation and shipping, and value-adding services that hold the potential to transform any piece of equipment. Read more about data in our guide Data-as-an-Asset: tips for effective design of IoT solutions.
The carrier for this data is mobile/cellular connectivity, which binds the mobile ecosystem together. This means the manufacturer’s relationship with their mobile network operator is an important one.
The transportation ecosystem needs much more than just SIM cards in machines and access to a mobile network
More than just connectivity, the service provider can offer manufacturers access to an ecosystem of partners who each offer their own specialised skills and competencies. With a wide range of partners, all that data can be put to good use.
As opposed to building all the needed competencies in-house, the collaborative approach is the best way to create new IoT offers and services. Without a number of strong relationships in the ecosystem, it will be difficult for auto manufacturer (or any business, for that matter) to take the next steps to the future of connected mobility.
Autonomous driving, electrification, connectivity and on-demand mobility – how will automakers evolve with these macro-influences?
Just because future of the transport IoT is undefined, that doesn’t mean processes should be wildly experimental. Slow and steady will win the race. When planning their “future-proof offerings”, manufacturers need to look to the (somewhat brief) history of the IoT and follow the established best-practices.
When considering the wide possibilities of connected transport that are available today, manufacturers need to also consider the long term picture. That begins with planning and implementation, continuing on through commercial rollout and onboarding of devices.
The value-adding offerings tied to a connected IoT product can evolve through the entire lifecycle. This also means that the business model will change over time to fit the evolving products/services. Once they get started, manufacturers need a connectivity provider that can provide connectivity management through the entire life of a device.
Businesses need better ways to securely share data
From the factory floor to the box to the warehouse to smart containers to container ship to train to delivery truck – everything that moves is becoming connected. As connectivity expands, organisations large and small will need to break free of their “siloes” and build ways of working which facilitate better cooperation with other sectors and companies.
Processes will continue to become increasingly automated and efficient as proprietary systems learn to securely communicate and cooperate with other systems. This will require developing software with open APIs, as well as developing new cloud platforms that can “sit on top of” legacy platforms and act as a translator. That evolution will open new value streams and introduce new players such as data brokers.
To capture the promises of new mobility and IoT, manufacturers need to evolve their connected offerings to the next level.
– Svante Svanberg, Strategic Segment Manager at Telenor Connexion
All that data could make every day a bit more pleasant
It’s not just things that are connected in the transport IoT ecosystem. Data also connects people with places and experiences. Travelers can access ride-hailing, car-sharing and multi-modal public transport. The data that travels between vehicles and infrastructure will make each journey safer and easier.
Once inside a vehicle, the traveler has access to a range of digital services. People’s interaction with connected vehicles and machinery sends more valuable data into the ecosystem about human behaviour, along with consumer needs and preferences.
Similarly, online shoppers get more delivery and pick-up options, from automated lockers to ultra-local delivery robots. The way people make a purchase is also changing thanks to location-specific offers and loyalty apps.
Products need to connect from Day #1 – anywhere in the world
Reliable, easy-to-manage mobile connectivity with global IoT roaming is clearly an important part of the formula for new mobility and transportation IoT. As soon as their connected product comes out of the box, a manufacturer needs it to connect with mobile networks, regardless of where in the world the product may be unboxed.
No matter the end-user, consumer or industrial, manufacturers can’t waste their time dealing with mobile network service providers in each region or country. Selling on the global market requires a connectivity service provider who can offer global roaming with one set contract, and one service level agreement (SLA).
At Telenor Connexion we provide support from planning and implementation to onboarding devices. We continue our relationship with clients through the lifecycle of a device with connectivity management and 24 hour support from our SOC.
