Some of you will not have seen (or be too young to remember) the scene in the award-winning film “Dead Poets Society.” Robin Williams (the teacher) stands on his desk and explains the importance of obtaining an alternative perspective to his students. He emphasizes how things can look different depending on your vantage point. Frequently, I refer to that scene in many aspects of life, but in this case, I apply it to Connectivity Services for Connected Vehicles (CV).
The importance of vehicle connectivity is increasing, and Automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) require connectivity services to match their connected vehicle services ambition: They need cost-effective global connectivity and performance to maximize return on investment in CV services. If we dive a little deeper, four key parameters drive success and excellence in end-user experience. Car analytics can deliver actionable insight to optimize the CV user experience regarding:
Coverage - of specific locations and in aggregate across a territory addressing all the necessary bearer services
Reliability - consistency of performance, including high availability
Latency - in-line with different (automotive) service needs regardless of other factors
Capacity - network architecture and dimensioning, understanding usage
New automotive services will be heavily dependent upon good connectivity performance; whether it is automated driving, infotainment, or cooperative transport systems - each will need optimal performance. Measuring connectivity service performance on a number of parameters either at specific points in time or continuously or for a selected group of vehicles can save time and cost for the OEM as they develop and operate connected vehicle services.
Practical use cases to drive better business
Modeling scenarios
Ericsson Device Analytics can provide real connectivity data to support service and vehicle hardware testing, and pre-collected data can inform development teams on different scenarios. The data can be used to model scenarios in the lab typical to what the vehicle has to experience in everyday life when put to use by an end-customer. Whether you are keen to understand how specific applications will behave at rush hour in downtown San Francisco, USA, or cruising at 160 kilometers per hour on the German Autobahn. Real-life data can inform simulations and yield improved design and customer outcomes. In addition, actual data can support production and “end of line” testing.
Reviewing service quality
Understanding service quality when vehicles and applications are in use is an important area where regular monitoring of connectivity can assist in the smooth operation of CV services. The ability to run connection tests, store logs, and provide reports both on and offboard helps the connected car service desk diagnose issues quickly. Getting to the root cause efficiently keeps all concerned happier and avoids unnecessary costs. There is no more head-scratching over whether the issue is the network, the service enablement platform, or the network itself! Greater transparency allows the right stakeholders to act and address shortcomings. Hitherto, undiagnosed issues that result in costly component replacement are a thing of the past.
Additionally, fact-based analysis of network performance elevates stakeholder discussions from potentially divisive bickering (when issues arise) to goal-centered continuous improvement quantified using Device Analytics. There is nowhere to hide! Ultimately, this will improve end-user customer satisfaction - with loyalty and advocacy being the all-important business benefits for the automotive OEM.
A smarter future with reliable analytics
As we look to a future where the need is to be constantly connected with no worries about network availability and reliability, the network-aware vehicle will deliver a superior customer experience. By measuring connectivity, predicting location and network capacity, vehicle analytics can ensure the necessary quality for services. The insights can be used to adapt applications and provoke driver actions. Ericsson’s Device Analytics can be the foundational tool that automotive OEMs use to build better services and performance taking connectivity data from a new vantage point – and they don’t have to stand on a desk to do it!
