Software-defined vehicles are delivering unprecedented convenience for consumers, but how will automakers tackle the challenges and opportunities of delivering a premium mobile experience? And what role will data play in making it all possible?
These were just some of the topics discussed by Cubic3’s CEO Barry Napier and other industry leaders on Reuters’ panel discussion on the Potential Value of Connected Data. Chaired by 5GAA CTO Maxime Flament, Barry joined representatives from Hyundai, Kia and Toyota’s connected car teams to talk about the opportunities ahead. Here’s an overview of the insights shared.
Taking on Apple, Google, Amazon…
Data monetisation continues to be a big deal for automakers, but if you’re not focusing on personalisation as well, you’re missing a step, says Cubic3 CEO Barry Napier.
Barry emphasised that localisation is the key advantage that will give manufacturers the edge on the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Google. “When we talk about personalisation, how someone uses a vehicle in London is completely different to how they do it in Munich or New York.”
“For car makers, having the ability to be agile, having a platform in place that will connect to a local service in a town or city, that’s where you’re really going to see scale and drive demand for personalisation,” said Barry, adding that “If you’re going to rely on Apple, Amazon or Google to do that, you’re not going to have a localised solution, because they don’t want people to play in that space. And that’s where the great opportunity is for automotive now, because you own that space.”
Make it personal, make it local
During the panel, Barry discussed how automakers, having invested heavily in technology to deliver premium mobile experiences, need to take ownership of those experiences – and localisation is key to doing so. “Because when people buy your car, they want the LED matrix lights, you can turn that on or off for them. But they also want to find the services in their hometown. Yes, they can get that in Google Maps, but how are you using it differently? That’s where the personalisation needs to match the localisation.”
For automakers, having the insight needed to get localisation right can be challenging, but “It’s difficult for automakers to connect with a service provider in a local area really quickly,” said Barry. Global automakers operate in hundreds of countries, each with its own sets of regulatory requirements, taxes, and more. That’s on top of the technology challenges automakers are already navigating: “Automakers are using terms like ‘agile’ for their development processes. That was never used 10 or 15 years ago. Now, velocity is coming in. Automakers used to have 4-7 year cycles in car production – in today’s environment, by the time a vehicle hits the street, the technology is past, the functionality is gone. It’s unbelievable what the automotive industry is doing.”
Buy before you try: personalisation beyond the production line
Barry noted that automakers have a significant opportunity to extend personalisation far beyond the production line. “People will want to have customised features over the lifecycle of the vehicle, they’ll buy a car and wish it had some premium feature – and they’ll be able to download it, upgrade or enhance for their local, personal situation. That’s where the opportunity is – it wasn’t there before. The feature set at the beginning won’t be the same over the lifecycle of the vehicle.”
Barry also highlighted how biometrics will revolutionise personalisation: “Remember when you had a key and depending on who got into the driving seat, the steering would change? That was cool. With biometrics, the vehicle will understand your mood, see if you’re tired, see different things during your driving habits. The technology is really going to have a massive play in this whole personalisation and it’s stuff we haven’t even thought of yet. So I think the fun is only just beginning.”
Keeping pace with automotive tech advances
Our Cubic3 Cloud platform provides a simplified, single point of access to mobile network services in over 190 countries worldwide. More than 8.5 million vehicles run on our platform, with a new subscriber added every five seconds. Our unified MNO solution simplifies regulatory compliance, in accordance with each country’s requirements.
Discover how Cubic3’s connected software solutions help automakers unlock the potential of personalisation and localisation to deliver premium driving experience for every customer, no matter where they are.
