News coming out of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event is almost as thick as it is out of CES. A new bit from Accenture and SEAT is showing off not only a new combined project, but also a good look at what drivers are looking for these days in cars: more connectivity.
The new combined effort ultimately yielded a proof of concept design that showed off new potential services for cars, drawing on developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) to not only allow access to new options within the car itself, but also, options outside of the car. The system is built around Accenture Connected Platforms as a Service, and is optimized for the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite, allowing the duo to move quickly from the idea phase to the construction phase.
Since it's still at the proof of concept level, it's not immediately clear just which features will make it to market, a point that SEAT is said to be already investigating for suitability. Car status seems a likely winner, with the ability to get any dashboard function replicated on a mobile device, including fuel and oil levels, as well as potential engine problems. If this connects to a car's On-Board Diagnostic (OBD2) port, it may be a real winner, giving users a much more conclusive look at what's wrong with a vehicle.
User behavior may be a winner, if a bit less likely. Such a system would give users the option to see how driving habits impact vehicle performance, and offer tips on how to improve performance based on habit modification. Insurers may particularly demand this point, though the end user may find it too intrusive for comfort.
Lastly, the car-to-home concept is one that should raise a clamor among potential customers; the idea that users could turn on lights from a car, adjust heating and cooling levels in a house for comfort, and even potentially turn off an appliance accidentally left on while on the road means both peace of mind and greater user comfort, both welcome developments.
While users may have problems with some of this, and some of it may well end up forced on users in the end—that driver performance monitoring system is perhaps the most potentially problematic part of the concept—certainly the development itself is valuable. In learning more about what users want in relation to what can be done, some whole new markets may be discovered, and SEAT and Accenture could well end up at the forefront of a big new trend. That's a great market position to occupy, and one that could reap substantial benefit.
The car of tomorrow may be much different from its present-day equivalent, and it is developments like these—among so many others—that will make the differences truly happen.
