Wireless communication is driven by standardized technology that is developed by various companies sharing their patented inventions with an entire industry. What consumers do not realize is the behind-the-scenes process to make those patented inventions available for use to deliver wireless connections consumers use habitually.
Thanks includes, today, cars. Most people see their cars as feature-rich utilities, but rarely think about what it takes to enable those features, from safety mechanisms to communications and entertainment. The reality is, today’s vehicles are enabled by IoT sensors, devices, and networks.
Making it work wasn’t always easy, though. IoT product makers previously had to go to each technology owner to request, negotiate and pay for a license. Avanci wanted to simplify that process, so it transformed the way companies share technology by licensing intellectual property from different patent owners in a single transaction, at fixed rates, paid once for the product’s lifetime.
Avanci licensed the majority of patented 2G, 3G, and 4G cellular technologies to the majority of the connected vehicle market. And now, more than 100 million connected vehicles sold by more than 80 automotive brands are covered by an Avanci license with an additional 30-40 million connected vehicles to be licensed in the next year.
“This level of participation validates our long-standing commitment to offer a simple, predictable and efficient solution for the IoT, benefiting new technology adoption,” said Kasim Alfalahi, founder and CEO of Avanci. “We look forward to making licensing simpler and more efficient for a wide range of companies, as we explore new programs for massive, critical, and industrial IoT.”
The automakers in Avanci’s licensing program for 4G connected vehicles benefit from a license to the 2G, 3G and 4G cellular standard essential patents of the 51 patent owners participating as licensors in the program. By streamlining the technology sharing process, auto makers are provided an efficient and transparent way to access the wireless technology needed for connected products.
“Our work to date is a strong foundation for building our planned program for 5G connected vehicles,” said Laurie Fitzgerald, senior vice president at Avanci.