Motoring

•

Barcelona, Spain/Montreal, Canada- March 2nd 2015 - Summit Tech is unveiling the first Voice over LTE (VoLTE)/Rich Communication Services (RCS)-capable Connected Car in collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU), a world leading specialist in IP networking, cloud and ultra-broadband technology, at the GSMA's Innovation City showcase at Mobile World Congress 2015. The two companies will be demonstrating the transformational power of the service provider's all-IP communications network on the Connected Car of the future.

With operators increasingly rolling out commercial VoLTE services across their 4G LTE networks, a new chapter in IP communication innovation expands the delivery of ultra-broadband services and enhanced service experiences. Based on a highly reliable virtualized IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) platform that comes equipped with APIs for rapid service creation, VoLTE's high definition voice and rich communications can now be easily extended to the Connected Car.

In contrast to cars with only built-in LTE for Internet access, Summit Tech and Alcatel-Lucent will demonstrate how VoLTE/RCS enable the Connected Car itself to become a secondary device to complement a user's smartphone. The Connected Car has call hand-over -- seamlessly transferring calls to the car without any user interaction.  Even if their smartphone battery dies, a user can continue the call from their car which behaves as an independent secondary telephony device.

The system works with Heads-Up Display systems in cars, so that users can view their calls, messages or data while keeping their eyes on the road and manage them using gesture control.  Leveraging the power of Alcatel-Lucent's IMS solution currently in operator's networks and capable of supporting mobile and WiFi, the Connected Car brings occupants a full complement of communication services including support for VoLTE, video communications, IP messaging/chat and social presence to open up countless use cases.  

For instance, the Connected Car can automatically advise a caller that the call is not private if there are other passengers in the car.  The caller is then offered the option of leaving a message rather than being heard by all on the speaker phone.  Once the driver is available for a private conversation, the system can prompt the caller to call back.

Another real-life example of the power of VoLTE/RCS-based vehicles can be applied to drive-thru restaurants.  The driver can be automatically linked to the drive-thru attendant with a standard Android™ or Windows™ phone using an HD audio call, instead of the crackly drive-thru speakers.  After the order is placed, confirmation and an electronic invoice are displayed on the car's in-dash display.  The driver can then complete a mobile commerce transaction to pay for their meal.

"By leveraging APIs exposing the rich functionality of today's IP communication networks, communications as a service can be embedded into the Connected Car experience to provide on the go consumers and business users with personalized ultra broadband experiences," Fran Heeran, General Manager of the IP Communications business at Alcatel-Lucent.  "The Connected Car becomes yet another means by which operators can offer innovative services beyond the smartphone and enter new vertical markets to leverage their investments in LTE networks and VoLTE services."

"We don't need any more fragmentation across voice, messaging and data systems," commented Alido Di Giovanni, President of Summit Tech.  "Closed systems are not helpful to the progression of Connected Cars.  With this ecosystem, operators can finally be at the heart of Connected Cars, as they should be.  They can be the ones that provide the disruption and the innovation in this market.  And consumers can benefit from a system that works seamlessly across car manufacturers, operating systems and carrier networks."

About SUMMIT TECH
Summit Tech is … Read more

•

Press Release

The Association For Driving Licence Verification (ADLV) has responded to reports that the date for the abolition of the paper counterpart to the current driving licence has been delayed. In their view the delay is irrelevant as the time for many fleets to change their processes is now. This reflects a recognition by the Association that some corporate fleet users are concerned that even when the current alternative proposed by the DVLA becomes available it might not address all their business compliance and operational requirements for fleets of 20 or more. As an alternative approach and a call to action, the ADLV is recommending that fleet managers evaluate available commercial alternatives now to reap immediate and significant efficiency savings as well as data security enhancements.

As the ADLV Chair Malcolm Maycock comments; “The benefits of electronic checking are already available and proven so why wait until someone decides a date for the inevitable? Organisations seeking to professionally manage and protect their employees’ driver data should make the move to electronic checking now.”

Photo shows Malcolm Maycock Chair of the ADLV

The ADLV Technical Director Kevin Curtis comments; "Working alongside the DVLA the ADLV will launch a 'Real Time' checking service early in the New Year. We also plan to launch the new eConsent service for paperless checks as well as the current ‘wet signature’ D796. ADLV members offer a risk free and compliant solution to managing driver data and this is being well received by those who wish to take a professional approach."

In the New Year, the ADLV will also be contacting fleet managers to recommend they make the move to electronic verification now instead of waiting for confirmation of when the paper counterpart is to be abolished.

End

Note To Editors:

About the ADLV (www.adlv.co.uk)
The Association for Driving License Verification has been established to promote and encourage best practice within the industry for the initial and continued validation of driver entitlement for responsible employers and road safety.

The ADLV will both represent and regulate Members organisations in accordance with its rigorous Code of Conduct.

For further information please contact:

Richard Payne-Gill
ADLV
07534 199236
[email protected]

or

Leigh Richards
The Right Image PR & Marketing Group
[email protected]
07758 372527

… Read more

•

Press Release

The Association for Driving Licence Verification (ADLV) www.adlv.co.uk is to launch a new package of measures aimed at reinforcing the quality and security of driving licence data for corporate fleet users. The measures will form the first steps towards a new industry standard aimed at ensuring risk free access to licence data once the paper counterpart disappears early in 2015. The new measures are seen as a response to corporate fleet concerns over non-commercial licence checking services which some worry are open to potential misuse and abuse by staff which leaves their employers at risk under current data protection legislation.

As Richard Payne-Gill a Director of the ADLV says, “Data security and avoidance of data fraud are issues requiring sound governance. Corporate HR Directors, Risk Specialists and Fleet Managers must adhere to only the highest standards of Information Security when it comes to their employee’s data. Any serious breach leaves them exposed to the law and potentially affects their reputation as an employer. DVLA is soon to introduce the Share My Driving Licence facility (SMDL) which will allow motorists to share up-to-date information electronically about their driving entitlement. The ADLV has shared its concerns with the DVLA about allowing the driver to produce a PDF version of their record which could easily be manipulated. Further, without training companies may inadvertently accept the document as proof of entitlement to drive not understanding they still need to check further online. Corporate users can avoid this issue by using the services which are already commercially available, these are equipped to deal with employers that need batch services for reasons of organisational efficiency rather than a transactional service, ensuring that their driving licence entitlement is correct and sufficient for their purposes.

ADLV Logo

“As corporate users cannot accept any risk, especially when it comes to employee data, they have welcomed the professional, independent licence verification services provided initially by members of the DVLA’s EDECS system and more recently the ADLV itself. Where corporate fleet managers only use an ADLV member, it reduces such risks and these new measures will reinforce the quality of the service they deliver. By using the services of an ADLV member, the possibility of someone playing fast and loose with driver licence data is history.

“The package includes a membership roadmap to ISO 27001 compliance and the addition of e-consent for ID Assurance; ensuring an individual’s identity is properly verified before sensitive personal information is accessed.”

The ADLV is currently working on a range of other new standards aimed at effective corporate fleet governance, which are likely to be announced in the first quarter of 2015.

Ends

Note To Editors: About the ADLV (www.adlv.co.uk)
The Association for Driving License Verification has been established to promote and encourage best practice within the industry for the initial and continued validation of driver entitlement for responsible employers and road safety.

The ADLV will both represent and regulate Members organisations in accordance with its rigorous Code of Conduct.

For further information please contact:
Richard Payne-Gill
ADLV
07534 199236
[email protected]

or

Leigh Richards
The Right Image PR & Marketing Group
[email protected]
07758 372527

… Read more

•

Leaders in the automotive field join forces to enable independent specialist and generalist garages to save time and money by ordering parts and supply direct from the diagnostics device.

10 NOVEMBER 2014 - Wheatley, Oxfordshire, UK. Autologic Diagnostics today announced a new global strategic alliance with WORLDPAC, Inc., a leading wholesale distributor of original equipment automotive parts. Autologic has integrated WORLDPAC SpeedDIAL online cataloguing functionality into its market-leading diagnostic devices. Now, Autologic users that are also WORLDPAC customers can diagnose a vehicle, check parts availability at any time, confirm pricing and place orders direct through their Autologic devices. This will create the industry's first seamless process from initial diagnosis to parts sourcing and vehicle repair.

Autologic Logo

This new collaboration will enable independent repair facilities to better manage the ever-increasing complexity of European vehicles. The combination of Autologic and WORLDPAC's speedDIAL catalogue will deliver a deeper level of diagnosis and a straight-through diagnose-to-fix process.

"Joining forces with WORLDPAC is going to save our shared customers a great deal of time and money in many direct and practical ways," said John Conoley, Chief Executive Officer of Autologic Diagnostics. "WORLDPAC represents a fine fit for us and by integrating their service into our devices, we will overnight, extend the value of our devices into new areas of the technician's workflow."

"The collaboration between WORLDPAC and Autologic has been long standing and this latest integration of speedDIAL with Autologic will greatly increase the customer's shop efficiency along with vehicle through-put. We can now say that we have a real solution for accurate European and British vehicle diagnosis along with providing the right part at the right time," said Mario Recchia, SVP Marketing at WORLDPAC.

In practical terms, the WORLDPAC service will be accessed through a single, always accessible button, on the Autologic device. All WORLDPAC customers will need to do is enter their existing account number. VIN numbers will then be exchanged seamlessly with WORLDPAC to ensure the right parts are ordered for the vehicle being diagnosed.

The new service will be available to existing Autologic and WORLDPAC customers from September 2014 and will form part of the next scheduled software update.

ENDS

About Autologic Diagnostics
Autologic Diagnostics provides comprehensive automotive diagnostics and expert technical support to a worldwide customer base of independent specialist and generalist garages.

The company is a recognized leader in multi-manufacturer diagnostics and service with a major focus on the UK, US, Germany and Nordic countries. Winner of multiple awards, including the Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2012, Autologic was founded in 1999.

Please visit www.autologic.com for further information.

Media Contact
Jonathan Brayshaw
ORIGINAL
Office: +44 203 289 1875
Mobile: +44 7590 570680

About WORLDPAC, Inc.
WORLDPAC is a leading importer and distributor of original equipment automotive replacement parts serving the independent import and domestic service center market through its 100+ branches across the USA, Canada and Puerto Rico.  SpeedDIAL, WORLDPAC's exclusive online catalog and fulfillment ordering software including new OE Detailed Schematic Parts Diagrams, contains over 120,000 products covering more than 7 million import and domestic, multiple brand applications for virtually all makes and models including.  WORLDPAC customers can also download the free, 5-star rated WORLDAC App featuring speedDIAL Express and VIN decoder for iPhone or Android mobile devises. Additional WORLDPAC customer services include an extensive distribution network, multiple same-day deliveries through the company fleet of vehicles, direct importer pricing, an experienced knowledgeable sales team, targeted customer marketing solutions, and the WORLDPAC Training Institute's (WTI) highly praised advanced technical and business training. 

To learn more about WORLDPAC or to become customer, contact (800) 888-9982 … Read more

•
San Diego- October 24, 2014 - The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) has announced that they will be moderating a panel at this year’s Telematics West Coast conference; the panel titled ‘The car steps out into the connected world’ will be comprised of industry leaders and moderated by senior OMA representative, Dr. Eshwar Pittampalli.

The panel is set to cover the latest developments and predictions in the In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI) market and give visitors to the conference a detailed insight into whether the content providers, software architects, tier 1s or OEMs will take ownership of the in-car experience as the industry moves further into the connected world.

Panel member Scott Burnell of Ford will be giving visitors an insight into his argument for the need for a single connectivity platform in the auto industry as well as why he thinks the industry’s main quest should be to deliver an in-vehicle experience and not just a range of apps. “The panel is a great way to discuss the developments in the industry and what is next in the telematics space” commented Burnell. Furthermore Zach Brand of NPR will discuss on the panel the growing demand for in-vehicle-infotainment as well as the need for a re-fresh on automobiles as opportunities for the connected car grow and grow.

Dr. Eshwar Pittampalli, Director Market Development for the OMA said, “As the gap between automobiles and Smartphones closes, we continue to see evidence that OMA Enablers are now more applicable than ever within the telematics space. We have already worked with OMA members to highlight the applicability of our enablers for automotive applications.”

Products and services based on OMA Enablers can be used to manage head units, in-vehicle infotainment systems and engine control units. The OEM benefits from production efficiencies and reduced recalls and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) can offer services using existing OMA-based infrastructure.

The panel will take place on Thursday 30th October at 14:00-14:45 as part of the Telematics West Coast Conference www.telematicsupdate.com/west-coast, held at Hilton San Diego, CA. The panel will be compromised of Scott Burnell - Global Lead, Business Development & Partner Management - Ford, Steffen Neumann - Portfolio Manager, App Development Group - Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Silicon Valley, Ted Cardenas - Vice President, Car Electronics Division-Pioneer Electronics, Zach Brand - VP for Digital Media-NPR and Bret Scott- Future Technologies Lead - Chrysler. Dr. Eshwar Pittampalli, Director Market Development, Open Mobile Alliance will moderate the panel.

About Open Mobile Alliance (OMA)
OMA is the wireless industry’s focal point for the development of mobile service enabler specifications, which support the creation of interoperable end-to-end mobile services. OMA drives service enabler architectures and open enabler interfaces that are independent of the underlying wireless networks and platforms and that work across devices, service providers, operators, networks and geographies. More information at www.openmobilealliance.org.

 … Read more