Before leaving home for a family road trip, John uses his mobile phone to check his car - fuel, engine, brake line, etc. – and remotely starts up the vehicle with a simple click of his mobile phone screen. Then the vehicle downloads weather and traffic information to adjust in-car temperature and seats to provide the optimal driving and riding environment for all family members. As John gets in the car, it shifts to Eco-Driving Mode based on the analysis of his driving patterns to maximize fuel-efficiency. Such a conversion between mobile technology and the automotive industry will soon bring what seems to be the far future into our daily lives.
Seoul, Korea, 21 April 2009 – SK Telecom announced today that it will demonstrate a mobile telematics service named Mobile in Vehicle (MIV) that enables remote control of vehicles via mobile phones. It will demonstrate this first at Auto Shanghai 2009.
Traditional telematics services provided only a limited range of services such as route guidance, location information and data communication by combining wireless networks with automobiles. However, SK Telecom brought telematics to a new level by developing MIV, which offers a mobile telecommunications technology, platform and content. In other words, MIV represents a new concept for convergence services where customers can use their mobile phones to diagnose and control their cars and enjoy diverse multimedia services.
At the motor show, SK Telecom will be demonstrating services in four areas: a vehicle diagnosis and control service, safety and security service, route guidance service, and entertainment service.
The vehicle diagnosis and control service allows users to check driving gear performance – engines, brakes and so on - and get fuel-related information as well as controlling the car’s parts and components including doors, headlights, taillights, and the trunk. The safety and security service enables vehicle monitoring and tracking in case of theft. The route guidance service provides the shortest path to the destination based on real time traffic information provided through mobile networks. And, the entertainment service allows users to play music or video in car without having to download them from mobile handsets thanks to phone-automobile synchronization via wireless networks such as WCDMA, WLAN and Bluetooth.
Hong Sung-chul, executive vice president and head of the Next Internet Business Division of SK Telecom, said: “Over a one-year period of development, SK Telecom accumulated rich know-how and the capability for developing and commercializing mobile telematics technologies. The telematics service provided in the form of a package – offering mobile telecommunications technology, platform and content – is promising as it can be used via both smartphones and non-smartphones, thereby making it highly compatible with all types and brands of automobiles worldwide.”
The company put strenuous efforts to develop convergence services between ICT and automobiles ever since its Java-based mobile technology called Telematics API for Java ME was recognized as a global standard by the Java Community Process (JCP) in June 2008. The technology enables the remote control of vehicles using mobile telecommunications technology.
MIV is expected to draw global industry attention as well as create a buzz at Auto China Show 2009 as it demonstrates in-car services interconnected with mobile phones and realizes globally standardized telematics technologies for the first time in the world.
SK Telecom expects the promising convergence service market, which combines the ICT and automobile industry, will reach 20 trillion won (US$15.4 billion) in size by 2010. With MIV, the company hopes to secure technology leadership and create a new global market.
The company plans to facilitate the market by commercializing a mass production type of MIV within this year and create a new mobile telecommunications convergence model by forging partnerships with global carmakers to equip pre-delivery vehicles with MIV service.
Furthermore, SK Telecom plans to continue developing new technologies and services such as the Personalized Service that creates the optimal driving environment by taking into account the driver’s physical conditions and habits; an Eco-Driving System which enhances fuel efficiency through smart operation of driving gears; and Wireless Networking that allows vehicles to connect with each other.
