SmartMove Demonstrates Complete End-to-End Telematics Software Solution At Convergence 2000, Detroit
16 October 2000
SmartMove Demonstrates Complete End-to-End Telematics Software Solution At Convergence 2000, Detroit
Automakers Validating SmartMove Solution
DETROIT, Oct. 16 SmartMove NV, one of Europe's leading
software developers for telematics applications, today unveiled and
demonstrated a complete, fully-functional end-to-end Java-based open software
solution for the entire telematics pipeline. The company is demonstrating its
software at Convergence 2000 (Booth #884), the automotive electronics
exposition that runs October 16-18 at Detroit's Cobo Center.
Called the SmartMove Open Telematics Framework (OTF), it is the first end-
to-end open telematics solution in the automotive industry. Its unique
single-platform, protocol-neutral, lightweight architecture is winning
industry acclaim because it can be quickly and easily upgraded on-the-fly to
add services and accommodate new technologies.
Vehicle manufacturers, telecoms and automotive suppliers are currently
validating the SmartMove technology for their own telematics initiatives. In
addition, a recent report on the global telematics market by UBS Warburg, the
global investment bank, predicts that SmartMove will lead the move toward
Java-based operating systems.
SmartMove's business model establishes three levels in the telematics
pipeline and integrates the software solution for each into a single-standard
platform or framework.
The three levels are: The Service Providers who originate news,
information, data and services; the Service Aggregators such as OnStar or
Wingcast who most likely will be owned by the vehicle manufacturer; and the
consumer in his vehicle, home or office.
SmartMove's OTF integrates all the functionality necessary to service all
three levels into a single system that is capable of transporting data over an
entire range of existing and future communication networks. It is fully
compliant with the Open Services Gateway Initiative (OSGi) which allows it to
communicate with smart appliances and devices in future homes and offices.
"We believe that services and information delivery to home and vehicle
networks will be organized by means of one common platform," said Steven
Buytaert, co-founder and co-CEO at SmartMove. "With the OSGi reference
framework running on the SmartMove platform, we make it possible to exchange
information and services between providers and both an in-home or in-vehicle
gateway. We have been actively participating with OSGI and other standards
groups like AMI-C, not only to create standards for information and service
delivery to the vehicle, but also to create a platform for information and
services exchange between home networks and tomorrow's vehicle networks."
The SmartMove OTF provides all of the software solutions needed by each of
the three players in telematics pipeline:
1. The SmartMove Development Kit for Service Providers is a set of
software tools that allow them to quickly and easily create, adapt and manage
their services. They can register and operate their services through the Java
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) that are part of the kit. These APIs
give them access to the Open Telematics Framework, the information pipeline to
the vehicle.
2. The SmartMove Communication Control Center (CCC) software for the
Service Aggregator is the heart of the telematics pipeline between the Service
Provider and the vehicle or home platform. The CCC provides management
functionality to the Service Aggregator, functions as a database, and stores
all the relevant vehicle and subscription profile data to provide system
security, billing, encryption, authentication and software updates necessary
to run the entire system.
3. The SmartMove Platform is the Java-based computing platform installed
in the vehicle. It contains the SmartMove chip set, software components and
virtual machine. It is linked to the vehicle via a bus, and interfaces with
the driver through voice activation, hardware buttons or a screen display.
SmartMove is also providing the reference design for a fully-functional,
third-generation (3G) telematics and multimedia in-vehicle terminal.
SmartMove's open architecture approach provides a common standard that
will allow many different vehicle manufacturers to share common vehicle
telematics standards across individual company lines. It is "future-proof" in
that it can accommodate changing technologies such as broadband, wireless,
broadcast and others. And with voice activation, simple hardware buttons or
touch-screens, it is easy and safe to use in-vehicle.
"The SmartMove OTF will allow the industry to invert the old 80-20 rule
which currently has 80 percent of the time and money going toward developing
the telematics infrastructure, and only 20 percent going toward content," said
Buytaert.
"With our OTF solution, we believe the industry can now concentrate on
developing meaningful and helpful telematics content to improve driver
convenience and safety. This can speed the launch of more comprehensive
telematics services, help vehicle manufacturers market and sell more vehicles
and new services to consumers, and realize new sources of revenue sooner."
About SmartMove:
SmartMove NV was founded in 1996 and received funding from several
European venture capitalists. SmartMove holds several international patents
in the field of vehicle telematics, and employs 90 people, most of them
engineers. Based in Leuven, Belgium, the company's U.S. subsidiary, SmartMove
USA (http://www.smartmove-us.com ), is located in Cambridge, Mass.