INTERVIEW
Personalization and Contextualization drive the Connected Car of tomorrow In your opinion, what in-car apps and connected services are beyond the hype and make sense to a consumer? Lochbridge commissioned a survey A recently that shows consumers are willing to share their data provided they know how it will get used and how they get to benefit from it. From this research, we see consumer acceptance double in many cases where the benefits are fully explained. So connected car use cases that make sense to the consumer like usage-based insurance, productivity-enhancers, driver behavior feedback, personalization, vehicle health, in-vehicle commerce, proactive-diagnostics and service scheduling could easily be accepted if the industry clearly communicates benefits. In addition, specific applications that are adapted for the vehicle context, such as social media apps that render in the IHU (in-car), will go beyond the hype while also delivering a safer driving experience. In what ways the “personalizaQ tion” of connected car services will influence the purchase decision of a new vehicle buyer in the near foreseeable future? Can it become a “brand differentiator” for an OEM as well? Infotainment and Telematics are A already sales accelerators and have become brand differentiators. According to a the Lochbridge survey, consumers are very much interested in vehicle personalization. Half of consumers indicated that they are willing to provide their personal data, such as their location and driving behavior, to tailor their vehicle experience to their preferences. So, this is a big opportunity for the OEMs to capitalize on. As such, we will see the next wave of automotive
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Raj Paul Vice President | Automotive & Emerging Technologies Lochbridge
With reference to Connected Cars how does the regions of Europe and North America Compare? There are OEMs in both regions A that have blazed the trail for vehicle connectivity and some that have lagged. Given the pent up consumer demand to integrate their digital lifestyles with their vehicles, acceptance has been high. Where many of the forerunners have tried to recreate the mobile experience in the vehicle, we are seeing a new era emerge in which digital content and apps are being extended into the vehicle in a much more contextual manner. Given the advancements in bandwidth, IHU display and processing capability, OEMs on both regions have the ingredients to truly innovate and differentiate. And, while regulatory differences exist between regions, the challenges are fundamentally similar.
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PG.26 | Smart Automotive | March - April 2016
innovation bring more opportunities for a richer, more contextual and more personal experience in the vehicle. Do you think the entry of tech-giQ ants like Apple & Google will disrupt (or even threaten) the connected car value chain? Tech-giants will definitely disrupt A and threaten the connected car eco-system. This is good for the consumer since this will accelerate innovation and product launches, and adoption of new business models and technologies. In another study we commissioned last year, we saw a huge gap in the consumer needs versus industry offerings. Nearly half of the respondents, including two-thirds of the Millennials, want to access the same apps on their phones. Unless the automotive industry satisfies this need, the door will be open for technology players, such as Apple and Google, to capitalize on the opportunity. seems the automotive dealerQ Itships are missing from the connected car equation. What is going to be their role in this space? Automotive dealerships appear A missing from the connected car equation due to the fear/perception that connected car adoption will impact the dealership sales and service model. While efficiency gained by over-the-air (OTA) updates could be perceived as an impact, the pro-active prognostics could drive more traffic to the dealerships since not all problems will be solved by OTA. There is a big opportunity for OEMs and their dealer networks to create differentiate by harnessing the power of vehicle data to provide a better ownership experience for their mutual customers. Who do you think will have the Q ultimate ownership of connectwww.telematicswire.net
