Verizon: with 4G LTE, we're in telematics tech, too
Mobile carrier Verizon Wireless on Monday showed off several new connected technologies that it hopes will run on your (increasingly intelligent) vehicle -- with a little help from its new network.
The company aims to shoehorn its own 4G LTE telematics tech (translation: next-generation wireless connectivity for your car) into an already crowded field occupied by offerings from GM, Ford, Microsoft, Google and others.
The message: automakers and tech companies may have all sorts of neat technology for the connected car -- from real-time data to location-based services to security and infotainment -- but you'll need Verizon's speedy infrastructure if you want to make it happen.
As such, Verizon is showing off its wares at the Telematics 2011 Conference in Detroit, Mich.
Among its highlighted partners:
- Airbiquity, a telematics services company that manages in-car mobile applications (weather, streaming audio, local points of interest) and their integration within the vehicle. The Verizon connection: bringing V CAST apps into the car.
- Plex, a streaming digital media service that allows access to different types of media through a single open source platform.
- MyAssist, a live-agent personal (and medical) assistance service for automakers and other telematics companies. Think of it like a third-party OnStar.
- TeleCommunication Systems, which is bringing mobile cloud computing services (apps for navigation, local search, asset tracking, social applications, etc.) to the car.
Read between the lines, and the future becomes clear: wireless carriers see the car as an entirely new market for rapid growth. The question: will your new Nissan run on Verizon, AT&T or Sprint?
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com