Taipei, Taiwan - The GSMA's largest-ever mobile industry event, Mobile World Congress Shanghai (MWC), attracted more than 35,000 attendees, exhibitors, speakers, and press/analysts from all over the world. During the event, Billion's outdoor fixed wireless 4G LTE CPE equipment, fleet tracking and in-vehicle telematics system were showcased by Sierra Wireless, who has announced Billion to become its official partner in Asia.

During the event, Sierra Wireless, the globally well known M2M/IoT and networking communication modules supplier, presented Billion/BEC's M2M and outdoor fixed wireless networking solutions along with the company's introduction. BEC (Billion Electric Corporation) Technologies was named as one of the top selling outdoor fixed wireless LTE brands in the U.S.A in 2015. Billion's LTE ODU delivers superior 4G LTE performance by featuring maximum wireless service coverage and ultra broadband transmission speed. Integrated the ruggedized and IP67 industrial-grade designs, Billion's fixed SIM embedded M2M wireless router is distinctively water and dust proof and can serve under extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to 60°C.

Besides, Billion provides a comprehensive network solution serving a variety of mission critical and vertical markets, especially in telematics and fleet management, emergency and public safety, and industrial and energy automation. Billion launched an innovative M2M router series, embedded with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and Dual LTE/ SIMs, provides a total remote monitoring system to control vehicles and enhance the streamline operations among public safety agencies. Cooperating with the BEC's Fleet Management cloud-based platform, this M2M series can monitor vehicle status to detect slowing or stopping motions, fatigued driving, and largely reduce the responding time through the provided onboard diagnostics (OBD).

"We deliver secure, reliable wireless connectivity to places where were not possible to reach with the traditional infrastructure. Utilizing the 4G LTE and broadband technologies, we offer multimedia communications, such as surveillance, streamlining videos, and real-time voice exchange to help our partners speed up their decision-making process with the visual and audio collaborations", said William Lee, Senior Product Line Manager at Billion's Networking Division. "Leveraging 4G LTE's broadened wireless coverage, Billion's 4G LTE M2M series can deliver scalable connectivity to rural geographic locations, rough terrains, and harsh environments without interruptions."

About Billion
Billion Electric Co., Ltd. (www.billion.com, taiex: 3027) is a global ICT solution and networking CPE provider. We are motivated to create the innovative technologies to enhance live and the environment through placing ourselves as a sustainable corporation and a service-oriented partner. Billion's over 900 employees are committed to providing the optimal values and the quality of products to our current and future customers.

 … Read more

Beer by-product turned into biofuel

New Zealand beer brand DB Export is announcing it is on a mission to harness the power of drinking beer to save the world. In a New Zealand first, DB Export is attempting to make the country's first ever commercially viable biofuel from the by-products of brewing beer. By creating this biofuel, which emits less carbon than petrol, Kiwi men can save the world by doing what they do best – drinking beer.

“DB Export Brewtroleum”, will be made using ethanol derived from the yeast leftover after they finish brewing DB Export. That means every time someone drinks DB Export they’re helping to create an environmentally-friendly petrol that can be used in any modern car that runs on petrol.

Research and testing by DB Export and independent experts found that ethanol could be stripped from the yeast slurry of the brewing process and distilled to produce high-grade bioethanol, a more environmentally friendly fuel created by blending 10% ethanol and 90% premium 98 octane petrol.

Bioethanol created from a by-product of dairy production is already available in select outlets around New Zealand and the world, and is proven to be more environmentally-friendly than normal petrol as it emits less carbon. Now DB Export has joined the crusade and the first sample of bioethanol will be ready for testing in a few weeks.

Head of Domestic Beer Marketing at DB Breweries, Sean O’Donnell said, “Brewtroleum was an idea sparked over a few beers, which presented the opportunity to take the natural by-product of the brewing process and turn it into something that can genuinely help the environment. What’s more, men can help to save the world just by doing what they already love – drinking DB Export.”

O’Donnell adds that Kiwis have a reputation for being “an ingenious bunch and have been coming up with “ideas over beers for years”. DB Export Brewtroleum is an example of one of these clever ideas.

“The Brewtroleum experiment is a way for DB Export to continue the legacy of its Kiwi founder, Morton Coutts, an entrepreneur and “ideas man”. Coutts was renowned for not just having smart ideas, but “doing the doing” and turning them into reality. From inventing a full-functioning x-ray machine at the age of 12, to creating a world-first brewing process, Coutts is the epitome of the “Kiwi doer”.

Following the first sample, the next step will be demonstrating Brewtroleum works via a live pilot, which then will lead to an ambitious world first: making Brewtroleum the first commercially-viable biofuel made from beer. If successful, DB Export Brewtroleum will be made available through a major fuel retailer.

DB Export Brewtroleum is the first in a series of ingenious “ideas over beers” that DB Export will roll out in the coming months as part of its “Made by Doing” campaign
(Made by Doing TVC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnGrQ0P3T8Q)

The Brewtroleum experiment – the statistics:

• DB Export, with the help of its’ distiller partners, is setting out to produce an initial release volume of over 30,000L of ethanol derived from beer by-product which will be mixed with normal petroleum to create Brewtroleum by July 2015
• Over 58,000 litres of yeast slurry (product leftover from the natural beer brewing process) will go in to the production of Brewtroleum
• DB Export has been testing and refining the Brewtroleum product since February 2015
• Biofuel, such as Brewtroleum, can reduce carbon emissions by 8%[1]
• Biofuel is great for combustion engines with no performance issues vs. normal petrol
• The yeast slurry is usually distributed to local famers for stock feed and other manufacturers and is

Independent study conducted by CAS highlights the value of telematics technology in reducing the risk of car accidents and insurance claims

A research study undertaken by driver behaviour experts CAS for Risk Technology, has revealed that data collected by automotive telematics devices can accurately predict the likelihood of a motorist having an accident.

CAS carried out the research with 1,291 drivers who were insured by a leading UK insurer and had telematics devices installed in their vehicles. The study examined how driver behaviour affects the chance of a driver being involved in an incident – and, therefore, the potential to make an insurance claim.

CAS concluded that the Risk Technology driver scoring methodology provides very good prediction of a driver’s potential to be involved in accidents than other technologies on the market because of the factors it takes into consideration and the way it does this.

The study investigated the accuracy of five key indicators used by Risk to predict driver behaviour, including: speed of driving, braking force, acceleration speed, whether or not the drive is taking place on an urban road, and or whether it is day or night time.

This information was collected from each driver’s telematics device and compared against the cause of any crashes or damages recorded by the insurer. The main reasons recorded for accidents included a lack of hazard perception, poor basic steering skills, loss of control of the vehicle, and not maintaining a safety envelope (the safe space around the car from other vehicles).

Different crash types are best predicted by different combinations of factors. For example, driver’s braking score was shown to be a very good predictor of loss of control, and is currently the most useful indicator to insurers for predicting this type of crash.

The current scoring methodology already predicts a high proportion of drivers who will be involved in crashes. CAS expects this prediction rate (the ability to identify individuals likely to be involved in crashes) to increase significantly when Risk introduces planned improvements to measure tailgating and poor lane discipline and even more sophisticated driver profiling.

Mark Packman, CEO at Risk Technology said: “This research proves that Risk Technology’s methodology and algorithms work to produce high accuracy predictions for insurance claims and thus help to improve the safety on our roads by reducing crash risk.

“We’re proud that independent research has shown what our insurance partners know already – that our driving performance scores correlate significantly with both the likelihood of being in a crash and the length of time that an individual goes without making a claim on his or her insurance.”

Each of the drivers used in the research had been driving with a telematics device installed in their car for between one month and three years. Of these policy holders, 104 people already had claims made against them for crashes for which they were at fault.

To download a copy of the report on these findings please click here: http://www.risktechnology.com/case-studies/independent-evaluation-of-the-risk-technology-driver-scoring-methodology/.

Notes for editors:
About Risk Technology
Risk Technology works with major international brands to seize the opportunities being created by next generation telematics.

The data generated from connected vehicles is helping firms to operate more efficiently and increase profits. The information supplied is also enabling brands to engage with motorists in new ways.

Armed with sophisticated insights, provided by Risk’s patent protected technology, companies can take positive actions which boost customer loyalty and generate new revenue streams.

The team has a huge amount of experience rolling out these telematics solutions across a range of global markets.

Key sectors include:

• Insurance
• Fleet and lease

With the UK driving licence counterpart being abolished as of 08/06/15 UK fleet managers have been asking questions as to what will happen with the DVLA services from this date forward.

Driving Monitor have polled its customers to find out what key questions are being raised the most and have found the following top 5 questions:

1.     Will I be able to check the employees' licences using the new DVLA system as we have more than a handful of drivers?
2.     Does the DVLA system give me any management reports as to the status of my drivers across the business, or is this a one time view of a single driver?
3.     If this is a free service, how much will it cost my admin staff to operate?
4.     Does the DVLA service provide alerts or notifications as to points offences on licences?
5.     Do I need to consider any data protection issues for checking employee licences or can I use the new ‘View Driving Licence' as an employer on behalf of the driver?

In response to these questions Driving Monitor have produced a series of free video guides to give UK fleet managers the inside track on what to look out for when using the new digital services. These video guides are also accompanied by a free guide download document, which sets out the different options for the digital services.

Kevin Curtis, Managing Director of Driving Monitor commented, "These free how-to guides are based on our experience of working with the DVLA over the last few years - and clearly map out what a manager would need to do to ensure their company duty-of-care is fully met.

There's been a lot of confusion surrounding the counterpart abolition and we've been working hard with our customers in the transition period now that the paper licence is phased out.

For example we rolled out our new eConsent system called ePass (Electronic Permit and Safety System) which connects the driver consent with the new live realtime checking service we have recently launched. This means for the first time a manager can verify the status of their employees' licences within seconds. Traditionally we've had to collect a paper mandate consent form to be able to check an employee's licence - this has been replaced by our new digital platform where drivers sign online or via their mobile device.

The new platform has opened up a whole range of new services we can offer with instant real-time checks. We can also get instant results when a driver completes our Driving Monitor risk assessment profiler, meaning the DVLA data is right up-to-date allowing the risk assessment to be 100% accurate instantly. We have also recently tested the new realtime service against the current overnight batch service that we use via a secure DVLA link. Our results found that 100% of records that were previously suppressed via the overnight EDECs service were checked successfully via the new realtime service. This is a marked improvement on reducing the number of records that previously were held up by the DVLA if they were working on a licence. We can now use the new realtime service to reduce the number of blocked records."

Kevin Curtis went on to say, "One of the main areas of confusion we've found talking to customers is that the DVLA's new platform negates the need for any ongoing licence checking system - however it's clear this one-time free check service that's on the DVLA website is completely different to the risk management solutions available from ADLV approved suppliers.

There needs to be a … Read more

The Platform Support for Legacy Vehicles  Also Enables Remote Vehicle Diagnostics and Includes Advanced In-Vehicle Cybersecurity

TU-Automotive Detroit - June 2, 2015 - The Software-Defined Car™, those intelligent vehicles  we are now increasingly driving, took a giant step forward in functionality and security through today's introduction of the new Movimento Over-the-Air (OTA) Platform. The platform marks the first time that the three key elements of data, security and OTA software management are brought together in a single platform.  The news was unveiled at the TU-Automotive Detroit 2015, taking place June 3-4.  Visitors to TU-Automotive can see the technology live for the first time at Movimento's booth #A26. 

Movimento logo

Movimento's advanced OTA platform is the first to make software updates of any car's electronics possible, from the power train to the infotainment systems, in one go, including automotive architectures and modules from legacy vehicles.  It delivers multiple benefits to automotive OEMs and Tier-1 module manufacturers as well as to vehicle owners. All that is required is the installation of Movimento client software, from which OTA updates on any vehicle ECU are efficiently managed.  This is far superior to how car software is currently updated, which requires that brand-specific code be installed on every module -- software that often is not even available for older, legacy architectures.

The Movimento OTA platform is able to intelligently assess vehicle status before installing software updates, ensuring that data is transferred only when it is safe to reliably do so. This special bi-directional data-gathering capability reports vehicle diagnostics, prognostics and enables preventative analytics, which lets car makers react in real time to their customers and can provide data to third-party companies for insurance and other purposes.

The sophisticated new platform also boasts unique security features, continually protecting each vehicle from unauthorized access, relying on industry best practices and defensive technologies. The Movimento OTA platform monitors the vehicle bus so that any unauthorized messages are detected en route and aborted within 10 milliseconds, also keeping driver data from being compromised.

The new Movimento platform is the foundation for tomorrow's driverless cars; the company is participating in European trials for self-parking cars. "The driverless cars of tomorrow are unbelievably complex but they are definitely coming," explained Movimento Group CEO Ben Hoffman.  "A Boeing Dreamliner 787 now has 15 million lines of code but there will be ten times more in autonomous cars when they arrive."

Movimento Group expects to be an active participant in this future market, drawing on the company's combination of automotive industry experience and Silicon Valley software expertise.  Having spent more than a decade working in pre- and post-car production, Movimento Group is the only company able to fully support legacy vehicle architectures. It has reflashed millions of vehicles and currently, Movimento OTA technologies are used to reflash more than five cars per minute.

"Our OTA platform and supporting services can address the entire car throughout the product life cycle," Hoffman explained. "It is a one-stop solution for the automaker." The company's expertise in OTA technologies was recognized via its naming as a finalist for the best connected-car system integrator, with awards being delivered at the TU-Automotive show this week.

Movimento in-booth demos: http://movimentogroup.com/movimento-at-tu-automotive-detroit./
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97627992@N07/sets/72157652065521078

About Movimento Group
Devoted to developing advanced technologies that help realize The Software-Defined Car, Movimento Group utilizes its decade-long history as a leader in automotive reflash services and its innovations in OTA software.  The company's car manufacturer customers include Ford, GM, FCA and Volvo plus a wide range of Tier-1 suppliers including ZF, Bosch, Denso, Panasonic, Continental, Delphi, Visteon, Magna and others. The company's headquarter is in Plymouth, … Read more

Leading European-brand vehicle diagnostics experts introduces new service and device platform to help non-specialist independent workshops go from fault-to-fix, fast

28 May 2015 – Oxford, England and New York, United States Autologic Diagnostics (‘Autologic’) today announced its new Autologic Assist ‘fix and support’ system created to serve the needs of advanced generalist repairers of complex European cars. Assist combines Autologic’s proven and completely updated support service with a next generation diagnostics device platform called AssistPlus and access to third-party online diagnostic support tools and services. AssistPlus builds on Autologic’s long track record of success with its previous blue box device. Taken together, Assist and AssistPlus give independent workshops a comprehensive integrated system, to fix cars faster and more profitably.

Autologic - New Logo

In recent research, Autologic discovered that as many as 1 in 4 vehicles resist correct diagnosis and repair. These hard to fix ‘problem cars’ reduce workshop profits and lead to backlogs that damage customer satisfaction. It is estimated that problem cars can cost workshops up to an hour of wasted workshop time each day, which equates to £16,500/US$24,750 [1] a year of lost business.

In many ways, today’s cars are really more like computers on wheels. With hundreds of inter-dependent electronic systems and components, repairing vehicles with this level of complexity creates major problems for independents that are more used to dealing with mechanical, rather than electrical issues.

Autologic Assist was created to help the vast majority of independent advanced generalist workshops to diagnose and repair modern, premium brand European cars. Assist enables those independents to diagnose and repair more vehicles, more efficiently thereby increasing billable hours and potential revenue as well as helping to better manage cost control.

“Assist and AssistPlus in combination marks a real breakthrough in aftermarket diagnostics,” said James Bagan, Sales and Marketing Director at Autologic. “Right from the company’s beginnings in 1999, we set the benchmark for what OEM-like diagnostics could deliver to the aftermarket brand specialist. Now, we’re the first company to deliver a solution that enables advanced generalist workshops to compete by delivering a far more complete approach to diagnosing and fixing today’s complex European cars in the form of Autologic Assist.”

The Autologic Assist system consists of six major components:

• An industry-first integrated fix and support service for European-brand vehicles
• Access to the expertise of over 50 OEM-trained Assist Expert Technicians across major brands
• Next generation, cloud-connected diagnostics device called AssistPlus with video and online remote assistance
• OEM Pass Through dongle included in the package
• Suite of new AssistOnline tools to register issues, book appointments, track repairs and bill for diagnostics*
• Full software support and vehicle updates for the duration of the contract

Bagan explained: “If advanced generalist workshops are to keep pace with main dealers, they need a critical combination of three things: Access to OEM-trained expertise, technology and vehicle information.

“With Assist and AssistPlus, we’re delivering an unrivalled combination of OEM-trained expert technicians, advanced, cloud-connected diagnostics and access to the best online vehicle repair information sources on the market today. Now, you no longer need to guess the cause of a problem, just sign up for Assist and we’ll help you go from fault-to-fix, fast,” he added.

Ends

Notes to Editors

• Pricing: Each Autologic Assist service contract is priced at £1,200 (UK) per year / $1,920 (US) [2] and the Autologic AssistPlus diagnosis device costs £8,000 (UK) / $12,800 (US) and comes pre-loaded with diagnostic software for premium European car lines:
  • Brand support - UK: BMW, Mercedes, VAG, Jaguar, Land Rover, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen and Volvo.
  • Brand support – US: BMW, Mercedes, VAG, Jaguar,

The ADLV (Association for Driving Licence Verification) www.adlv.co.uk is seeking to incorporate feedback from Business Owners, Fleet Managers and HR officers in developing a Best-Practice Guide to checking driver licence entitlement. The new on-line Guide, which will highlight the correct verification systems to use in specific circumstances, is being drawn up in response to the imminent withdrawal of the paper driving licence counterpart by the DVLA. Once published, the Guide will serve as a compliance document for both the private and public sector fleet industries. Amongst the topics that the Best-Practice Guide will cover are:

The legal aspects of driver entitlement: This will cover the current classes and categories of licence and the verification levels required to meet them.

Endorsement Codes: An overview of existing codes.

Holders of overseas licenses: This section will highlight guidance on defining residency both within and outside the European Union and the appropriate requirements for driver entitlement accordingly.

License Checking Options and Procedures: The Guide will highlight the different systems available for checking driver entitlement and which of these Fleet and HR managers see as providing the most appropriate level of compliance for their own circumstances. This includes the difference between the DVLA and the commercial services available. For example, most Fleet Managers with fleets of over 20 drivers are already moving to commercial electronic checking as Best-Practice. It will also highlight the correct procedures for each option - for example the VDL (View My Licence) facility is purely for use by the licence holder themselves and not by third parties.

Areas of caution: The final section of the guide will seek to ensure that readers are aware of the limitations of some methods of checking and their liabilities under current Data Protection legislation. An example of each would be:

The .pdf screen shot that can be produced with the DVLA's single-view SMDR (ShareMyDriving Record) service has no legal standing and is not a sufficient proof of driver entitlement on its own as it can be edited.

The DVLA's current VDL (View My Licence) facility is purely meant for use by the individual licence holder or could be used by a business but only with the driver's explicit consent. Some organisations have wrongly assumed this consent has been given automatically; it is a criminal offence to obtain someone else's information without their permission.

Commenting on the preparation of the Best-Practice Guide Richard Payne-Gill, Deputy Chair of the ADLV said, "The need for this guide is clearly pressing, given the on-going confusion about the various licence checking options available following the withdrawal of the paper counterpart to the licence.

"We are preparing the Guide, as organisations need to know the Best-Practice way to proceed and what constitutes compliance within their own organisation. However, rather than simply dictate the key issues and remedies therein, we aim to include feedback from Business Owners, HR officers and Fleet Managers to ensure that we are both relevant and meeting the real needs of the market once the licence counterpart has gone.

"In the future we are also considering a video on the "Caution" element of the Guide to show just how easy it is to abuse and misuse paper .pdfs and the serious consequences of getting it wrong.

"So the ADLV would love to hear from relevant parties across all sectors, including both car and freight based fleets, about the issues raised and we look forward to incorporating as many of their ideas as possible."

Business owners, Fleet Managers and HR officers wishing to contribute to the Guide should call 01727 896041 or email [email protected]… Read more