Read the EC press release here!

This is only the first step in the EC’s plan to implement eCall. Other recommendations will most likely follow, in the areas of PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Point) and car OEMs. Pushing them to upgrade infrastructure and ensure that suitable hardware is available respectively.

For us as an MNO, this of course means we have to take on investments, in upgrading software in our core infrastructure. But we also see the benefits of eCall, and want to take our responsibility in building an infrastructure that according to various reports may save up to 2 500 lives annually. At Telenor, we already provide the connectivity for various private eCall services from e.g. Volvo Cars, and we see this is a logical extension of that offering.

It will also be interesting to follow how this news will affect the strategy of car OEMs as they try to find best way to connect their vehicles to the ever growing cloud!

//Per Lindberg

This directive is paving the way for a European-wide market of services in the transport business focusing on the 4 priority areas defined as follows:

• optimal use of road, traffic and travel data (real traffic information service)
  • priority actions: EU-wide multimodal travel and real-time traffic information services as well as road safety related minimum universal traffic information services
• continuity of traffic and freight management ITS services (enabling better fleet management services)
  • actions: e.g. ensuring information flow; tracking and tracing of freight
• ITS road safety and security applications (eCALL and parking services)
  • priority actions: EU-wide eCall services as well as reservation and information systems services for safe and secure parking places for trucks and commercial vehicles
• linking the vehicle with the transport infrastructure (enabling Car2Car and vehicle2infrastructure services)
  • actions: e.g. systems for exchange of data or information between vehicles, infrastructures and between vehicle and infrastructure

The new directive is the result of a long-awaited European process of negotiations between Parliament and Council since the first draft was proposed by the European Commission (EC) in December 2008ⁱⁱ. In 2008, EC was pointing out the real challenges of the growing transport needs for all Europe. EC called for the adoption of ITS applications and alerted on the lack of an existing standard and coherent organization between countries for making the deployment of such technologies economically viable. Most of the action plan has been transposed into the directive, except for the timing where member states will benefit of longer periods of time between every report (every 3 years versus 1) and for the safe keeping of existing ITS applications deployed in one member state.

This is to say that in Europe, every new application requires a consensus from all of the members and always takes into consideration every existing set up. As an example, the investment in the emergency call services made by some European car OEM:s (seen as real pioneers a decade ago) will therefore be protected for tomorrow and stay compliant with the future pan-european eCall standard.

The new directive establishes a framework and planning of actions to support a coordinated and coherent deployment of ITS within the EU, in particular across the borders between the member states, and it sets out the general conditions necessary for that purpose. For example the reuse of existing technologies like EGNOS/Galileo and RFID, the creation of a new ITS Advisory Group (similar to the eSafety group which was created in 2002 for eCall and lead by ERTICO), regrouping delegates of industry, associations and European Member States – for those who want to work on the future specifications of ITS applications it will most certainly be very interesting to join – and an ITS Committee (parallel to other existing committees for road tolling, recording equipments, use of spatial information, etc.), which with its expertise will help the EC to drive the specifications and the global action plan.

A two-step approach for a swift introduction of ITS through EU legislation has been agreed: the Commission will prepare and adopt the necessary specifications for the ITS applications and services concerned. Their aim is to be ready by February 27, 2013 for a minimum of one or more of the priorities. Then, within 12 months and, where appropriate, after an impact assessment, the Commission will present a proposal for deployment of those ITS to the European Parliament and the Council, which will jointly decide for or against the proposal. In any case, member states will have the final say on whether or not to deploy an ITS application or service in their territory. However, if they do so, they must respect the specifications adopted under the directive. There are some additional key milestones to keep in mind: in August 2011, member states will report their ITS activities and projects to the Commission. In August 2012, the member states will report about the national deployment of ITS application and their actions for the next 5 years. A report of progress will be updated every 3 years by the Commission for the Parliament.

In conclusion, this is a necessary and constructive framework for preparing and organizing the conditions of an interesting market for ITS services on a European scale.

This directive does not hide the complexity of delivering telematics services for all Europe. Indeed, we are talking about providing some connected services in a fragmented mosaic of countries for more than 230 million passenger cars, 30 million light commercial vehicles and 6 million trucks. Having a portion of this market, we at Telenor Connexion have an understanding of how complex it can be. Therefore, I am expecting a long process for assessing the existing implementations, taking into consideration every report and finding specifications good enough to be approved by the larger number.

Finally, coming back to the business reality, I believe that this is a good time for automotive OEMs to make decision whether to start a venture or wait longer (but do not expect a reliable specification before 2013). It’s worth keeping a serious eye on this.

Footnotes
i Directive 2010/40/EU adopted on July 7, 2010 by the Parliament, can be downloaded on the web site: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:207:0001:0013:EN:PDF

iiThe draft document from the European Commission dated of Dec 16.2008, with reference 2008/0263, is available on web site: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0887:FIN:EN:PDF

Commissioner Neelie Kroes is on a mission to save thousands of lives each year with eCall, a service that automatically sends a distress call after a car accident. The European Commission has elevated eCall to the top of their agenda, and legislation that would require all new cars in Europe to be outfitted with this life-saving service is now in the works.

- Telenor is an active supporter of the European Commission’s eCall initiative and we are currently taking an active role in the European eCall Implementation Platform, which consists of various stakeholders working to bring eCall to Europe, said Lotte Abildgaard, Vice President and Head of Telenor’s representative office in Brussels.

- Telenor’s main contribution to this initiative is our expertise. Our involvement allows us to be a part of the dialogue, work side-by-side with important stakeholders and help shape policy that will impact our business, Lotte Abildgaard continued.

Telenor and Volvo share an eCall history
eCall is not a new concept, despite its relatively recent addition to the European Commission’s agenda. According to Per Lindberg, Global Business Development Executive at Telenor Connexion, Telenor has worked with Volvo on their eCall solution for more than 10 years.

- Telenor Connexion has been delivering the communications system for Volvo’s OnCall service package since 1999. Today we provide the communication for OnCall in 14 different markets, said Lindberg.

Read the whole article at Telenor Groups web site (external) >

– Telenor Connexion provides its existing, and future, customers with a sophisticated and extremely reliable platform. Our global connectivity solutions are used for our customers’ critical services such as eCall and remote health monitoring. Our new platform is solely built for, and dedicated to, reliable global M2M data traffic, says Per Simonsen, CEO, Telenor Connexion.

According to the analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of mobile M2M connections will grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 25% to reach 187 million connections by 2014. The majority of this growth will come from areas within automotive, utility and health sectors where applications are often business, or even life, critical. The reliability of connectivity is imperative for services such as eCall, where vehicles automatically alert local emergency operators in case of an accident. Remote health monitoring and alarm solutions are other examples depending on reliable and real-time wireless data connectivity. Solutions for monitoring and managing remote equipment such as wind mills, water pumps and industrial machinery are equally depending connectivity to secure optimized operations. The connectivity of these devices needs to be built on secure platforms with reliable and redundant technology in order to operate in a secure and stabile way over many years.

– The request for secure and reliable M2M connectivity solutions puts entirely new demands on mobile operators that intend to be a part of this development. As a leading provider of embedded connectivity, we are proud to progress the technological development with this new platform and the services attached. This is the result of over 10 years of experience and close collaboration with customers such as Securitas, Volvo and Daimler, says Per Simonsen.

Telenor Connexion customers have real-time access to monitor operational status and manage all their devices via an online Service Portal or an API solution directly integrated into the customers’ monitoring or operations systems. In addition to that, the customers’ solutions are monitored 24/7/365 by dedicated technical support expertise with tailored routines and processes to secure business critical applications. The platform is fully redundant and providing access to +400 mobile networks around the world.

In addition to the new technical platform, Telenor Connexion has developed a chip-based eSIM solution to be integrated in industrial environments such as machines and vehicles to further secure and enhance connectivity.

– Embedded connectivity solutions are fundamentally different from traditional mobile operators’ services and we take an end-to-end approach. By separating the M2M business with a dedicated organisation, technology and processes we can provide the next generation services and meet the new demands coming from embedded connectivity in critical applications and products, Per Simonsen concludes.

For more information, please contact:
Karin Karlung, PR and Communication, Telenor Connexion
karin.karlung@telenor.com, +46 734 417 415

Telenor Connexion welcomes GSMA’s initiative for the development of life saving technology, eCall.

GSMA, the global mobile communications industry union, has signed a memorandum of understanding to secure the deployment the life saving service eCall in cars across Europe.

- We see this as a step in the right direction. This is a rapidly growing market with the potential to save thousands of lives every year. We have been working closely with the car industry for more than ten years, developing and refining various telematics solutions including eCall solutions, says Per Simonsen, CEO, Telenor Connexion

The deployment of eCall among car manufacturers has been slower than expected for many reasons, partly due to a complex value-chain covering many different players and lack of standardisation. This is now about to change.

- We see a significant increased interest from car manufacturers to develop the next generation of connected services, where eCall is one of many services that will bring new value to the car itself. Services like infotainment, remote diagnostics, concierge services, location-based services are all depending upon connectivity, says Dan Mårtensson, VP Automotive Sales.

Some 14,5 million cars were sold in the European market 2008, indicating the size of this new emerging market. This brings totally new challenges for the mobile operators.

- Understanding of the automotive industry is critical in deploying large-scale telematics connectivity solutions on a global basis. Together with the car manufactures we are developing solutions for the specific requirements within the automotive industry, says Per Simonsen

For instance, the Telenor Connexion surface-mounted eSIM solution is designed for integration in industrial environments securing cost-efficient integration in production processes as well as long-term, reliable connectivity services on a global basis.

Please visit the GSMA web page for more information regarding the signing of the memorandum of understanding:

http://www.gsmworld.com/newsroom/press-releases/2009/3863.htm

For more information, please contact:

Karin Karlung, PR and Communication, Telenor Connexion

karin.karlung@telenor.com, +46 734 417 415

Volvo Car Corporation (VCC) has marketed their passenger car telematics system since 2000. VCC is a leader in providing telematics services on the European market with an offer including 13 different markets. Volvo’s telematics service is called Volvo On-Call (VOC), and includes services like eCall, bCall and stolen vehicle tracking. Volvo considers the On-Call service as an enhancement to their core brand value – safety. The service is continuously expanded to new markets as a combination of the Infotainment and Safety areas.

Volvo Cars

“We have cooperated with Telenor for many years to develop and implement our e-call service, OnCall, in different countries. Reliability of the technical solution, international reach and the right business model set-up for this unique service were some of the important factors in choosing our communication partner for the OnCall service. We are continuing to develop OnCall and other telematics solutions in close cooperation with Telenor to enhance our telematics offering.”

Joost van den Bosch, MSS Lifecycle Extended Offer Manager, Volvo Cars

Application area: Automotive telematics
Direct link: Volvo Cars