Telenor Connexion has been chosen as the European connectivity supplier for Renault’s sophisticated telematics services available on new Renault electric and fuel vehicles.

Following the success with Nissan LEAF, ”European Car of the Year 2011”, the Renault Nissan Alliance has selected Telenor Connexion as its European supplier of connectivity for Renault’s new electric and internal combustion car models as well. The first new electric vehicles to be connected are Kangoo ZE, Fluence ZE and the first ICE vehicles connected will be Kangoo and Master.

Telenor Connexion’s dedicated connectivity solution helps Renault’s sophisticated onboard unit connect to theRenaultGlobalDataCenterin a private network environment allowing Renault to provide its end customers with a wide range of services and information. This is made possible by seamless communication via cellular mobile networks in all of Europe, plus Russia and Turkey. Renault’s onboard unit uses the embedded SIM technology from Telenor Connexion partner Sierra Wireless, which allows for more robust, durable and better integrated connectivity in an automotive environment.

The main features for electric vehicles include helping end customers to optimize the autonomy of their electric battery by making it possible to check the battery status either by phone or computer. Electric vehicle owners will be able to spot the charging locations available and to plan a trip until destination. In addition, the telematics solution will offer subscriptions for optional services such as remote diagnostics, fleet asset management, road assistance, insurance telematics, and more in future.

“Telenor Connexion truly supports innovation in M2M and is the first mobile operator able to provide a reliable and secure connectivity solution with an embedded SIM solution for mass deployment in the automotive market. Other determining features of Telenor Connexion’s telematics solution are their global coverage, their proactive service awareness and their dedicated Service Portal to facilitate the management of connectivity”, says Ms. Claude Deulniau, IT Purchasing Manager at Renault.

“The agreement with Renault, one of the world’s largest car companies, underlines Telenor Connexion’s position as the leading global M2M connectivity provider in automotive telematics. We are very proud to be part of the Renault-Nissan electric vehicle program, which is the largest ever launched and to support the company’s ambition to be the world leader in zero emissions”, says Rémi Demerlé, EMEA Sales Manager at Telenor Connexion.

For more information, please contact:

Service Presse Renault, tel. +33 1 76 84 63 36

Kristina Grandin, PR and Communications, Telenor Connexion
kristina.grandin@telenor.com, +46 734 25 26 21

About Renault
Renault was founded in France more than 110 years ago and has since developed internationally. Today it has over 30 production sites and 18,000 business sites (subsidiaries, dealerships and agents) in 118 countries. Renault designs, produces and sells a broad range of vehicles, including from 2011 a range of electric vehicles accessible to all that embodies the company’s commitment to the environment. With its zero-emission* range and new generation of internal-combustion engines, Energy, Renault is aiming for leadership in low CO2 emissions, which it plans to reduce from 135 g/km today to less than 120 g/km in 2013 and under 100 g/km in 2016. Renault is also characterized by innovation for all, top-level product and service quality, and renewed vehicle design. The company is pursuing its strategy of profitable growth with associate brands Dacia and Renault Samsung Motors and strategic partner AvtoVAZ. Renault has a workforce of 121,000 worldwide. In 2010 it reported revenues of €38,971 million and sold over 2.6 million vehicles. Renault also relies on its partner Nissan as part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance to respond to the challenges stemming from the internationalization of markets. The Alliance is based on major synergies in product strategy, platforms, powertrain components and purchasing and takes advantage of the complementary geographical fit between the two manufacturers. The Renault-Nissan Alliance signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Daimler in April 2010 notably concerning A segment and powertrain projects.
* in use, excluding wear parts 

About Telenor Connexion
Telenor Connexion is the leading provider of premium M2M solutions for business and life critical applications, regardless of the vertical market. Building on more than 10 years of M2M experience, Telenor Connexion provides customers with tools that allow for full control of status, location and performance of their connected devices. Telenor Connexion has provided reliable, international M2M solutions to a number of global customers such as Volvo, Nissan, Daimler, TomTom, Omron, Scania, Qualcomm Enterprise Services, Hitachi and Securitas. The company was established in 2008 and originates from the successful M2M business within Telenor Sweden. Telenor Connexion is wholly owned by Telenor Group, one of the world’s major mobile operators.
For more information please visit www.telenorconnexion.com

According to Berg Insight estimates, the number of cellular network connections worldwide used for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication will reach 294.1 million connections by 2015. While the demand continues to grow for both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) applications, the important thing to note is that they require varying deployment criteria and significantly different approaches. The crucial point is that B2B applications are not just for convenience, they are many times business and life critical.

Telenor Connexion, a world leader in premium M2M solutions for business and life critical applications, today shares a few of the many key factors for businesses to consider when deploying a premium B2B M2M solution. If these factors are taken into account, the deployment results in reliable, flexible, efficient and cost effective M2M services for the customer, as well as the end user.  Telenor Connexion offers all of their customers, together with partners, the opportunity to receive M2M Quality Program consulting during the design, implementation and operational phases of launching an M2M or Telematics Service.  It is one of the ways Telenor Connexion differentiates themselves as an M2M connectivity provider

“Our proven customer record, and over a decade of experience in delivering premium M2M solutions, allows us to know what it takes to deliver a successful B2B M2M deployment,” says Per Simonsen, CEO of Telenor Connexion. “With this knowledge companies can deploy their M2M solutions right the first time and reap the important benefits M2M has to offer.”

The following key factors, are some examples of what is needed for a successful deployment of business and life critical M2M applications:

Optimizing traffic and terminal behavior
It is essential to ensure that the terminal and application are optimized to carry the necessary traffic and minimize signaling etc.

Ensuring terminals are handling over-the-air (OTA) upgrades and reset mechanisms correctly
Sometimes M2M terminals are not performing correctly due to network outages, unplanned upgrades, system overload, etc. and it is not possible to physically reset the terminal to fix the problem. To ensure quality of service, it is crucial that the solution can be remotely managed over-the-air and have inbuilt reset mechanisms.

Handling redundancy and failover mechanisms
Especially in the case of B2B, it is extremely important to make sure that if the primary system fails, the M2M communications can continue uninterrupted through proper handling of redundancy and failover mechanisms.

Catering for load peaks in traffic and signaling
Heavy network loads can have a significant impact on the quality of service. Ensuring that the traffic load is properly catered to, even during peak times, eliminates network disturbance and ensures reliable communication.

Controlling traffic effectively with trigger alarms
Early detection and notification of malfunctioning or improperly used devices is mission-critical for a B2B M2M deployment. Trigger alarms are designed to immediately notify a customer, or even automatically deactivate the subscription, depending on the set threshold alarms.

Increasing reliability and coverage with multi-operator support
Providing multi-operator support in a B2B M2M deployment ensures that if the primary operator fails, a back-up operator’s network is immediately available for reliable M2M communications.

Professional and specialized service desk
Customer access to a specialized and proactive M2M service desk is essential in the case of needed troubleshooting an M2M solution.

Telenor Connexion is sharing these keys to successful deployment of business and life critical M2M applications at CTIA Enterprise & Applications, and promoting their M2M Quality Program in booth 554.

Telenor Connexion, the world leader in premium M2M solutions for business and life critical applications, today announced it has been selected by Sector Alarm, a provider of security and safety for residential homes, as its supplier of wireless connectivity for home alarms and security systems in the Netherlands. With customer service support available 24 hours a day, Telenor Connexion’s M2M wireless solutions enable Sector Alarm to offer its customers faster, more secure, real-time alarm system communications.

The wireless security system delivers increased flexibility for the end user, offers increased options for placement of the CPU and eliminates visible wires. Customers can also know that the system will not have any impact on their telephone and broadband Internet access. Completely wireless, Telenor Connexion enables Sector Alarm security systems with protection from lightning and power issues, which means that customers will be secure from theft, tampering and environmental issues, such as storms or power outages.  

“We view wireless solutions as the most secure, reliable and easy to apply for multi-national deployments. At Sector Alarm we are committed to delivering the best in industry technology to our customers in order to support their existing and future needs. Telenor Connexion provides us with a premium solution and a 24×7 customer support that gives us confidence in using wireless connectivity. Our partnership makes it possible to grow and move forward towards our long-term goal of becoming the leading company for home alarms in Europe”, says Leif Motrø, Technical Director at Sector Alarm.

“We are very excited about this relationship and the future opportunities it presents. Sector Alarm is expanding its market presence, and therefore needs a reliable product. We are also pleased with the confidence Sector Alarm displays in our business and life critical solutions. Being a fully integrated part of alarm systems poses high and specific demands on our technical solutions to provide instant real-time communications”, says Henrik Rosell, Regional Sales Manager at Telenor Connexion.

Sector Alarm is a global company with Scandinavian origins. The company protects over 130 000 households with home alarms and home security systems in Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

For more information, please contact:
Leif Motrø, Technical Director, Sector Alarm
leif.motro@sectoralarm.com, +47 91 31 98 00

Kristina Grandin, PR and Communications, Telenor Connexion
kristina.grandin@telenor.com, +46 734 25 26 21

About Sector Alarm
Sector Alarm is a provider of security and safety for private homes. Sector Alarm currently has 130 000 private customers and is the second largest player in the Swedish market for alarm and security in private homes. Since its establishment in 1995, the company has evolved and is today the second largest alarm company in the Nordic countries. Sector Alarm is growing rapidly and now has operations in Sweden, Norway, Holland and Spain. Sector Alarm has a long-term goal of becoming the leading company for home alarms in Europe. www.sectoralarm.com

Telenor Connexion’s CEO Per Simonsen comments: “Ericsson and Telenor have complimentary goals for M2M solutions. Ericsson has a number of initiatives in the M2M field and Telenor Connexion has extensive experience in deploying M2M services. I foresee that we will have cooperation with major customers all over the globe.”

Read the full article here!

We share the interview video clip in this blog post!

So what are the differences?

Well for one thing, the automotive environment is a tough one. Devices that go into a vehicle need to withstand high humidity, high and low temperatures, vibration and more. That means a lot for the wireless modules (the modems) that go into the vehicle. Most major wireless module manufacturers have unique devices for automotive. At Telenor we developed an embedded SIM to cope with these requirements, and we also have other types of SIM cards that can be used.

Another major difference compared to almost all M2M applications, is that many automotive applications require voice traffic. Voice and SMS was once all MNOs offered, but today GPRS, 3G and LTE are the data services of choice. But some automotive applications still require voice, for example eCall (emergency call). And several OEMs build a service on using voice as a data channel, using in-band modem technology. Voice does complicate things in the connectivity space, as the solutions span multiple countries, cost can become difficult to predict, and quality becomes hard to guarantee. There are a lot of clever data compression and echo cancellation algorithms in play, to name but a few, that needs to be managed in a proper way, if things should work the way the customer expects them to.

Very high quality requirements and long life cycles are also typical of the automotive industry. A normal car project may be in development for 3-4 years, then the car is sold for 7 years, and is expected to live and do service for another 10-15 years. So a solution designed in 2011 may still be used by a customer in 2031! How many times do you think you will change to a new mobile phone in that time? Obviously, this puts a lot of requirements on us, as well as the rest of the supply chain to guarantee the levels of quality over time that the customer expects.

There are other things as well, like the complex supply chain, the business models and the challenges of providing a global solution that also make the automotive space unique. Other verticals also have their own challenges, but I think that the automotive vertical still is the most complex, and that it deserves its own name. Telematics.

//Per Lindberg

One vertical market in which Telenor Connexion’s proven global M2M services is resonating with is the healthcare sector. Utilizing our premium M2M solutions, our customers can start doing business in a geography in which demand for their services can be monetized today … as opposed to waiting for market or regulatory conditions to align in the USA. Clearly this brings mutual value for both Telenor Connexion, the customer, and the patient. Yet it is incredibly gratifying to know that we are playing a key role in enabling the improvement of access and quality of healthcare services around the world. 

I heard specific evidence of this while attending the Wireless Life Sciences Alliance Forum in San Diego recently. In a recent study of patients utilizing a networked cardiac device, patients had an incredible 50% improvement in survival rate over those without a network connected device. Outcomes like this support what those of us providing business and life critical M2M solutions already know, the value of what we do can often be almost unimaginable.

Telenor Connexion, the world leader in premium M2M solutions for business and life critical applications, today announced the expansion of its business development team in Japan and Malaysia to meet the growing demand for M2M services in the Asian region.

The Tokyo office established in 2010 is now expanded with a local team. Mr. Kentaro Ohshida has been appointed Account Liaison Director and contact point for the Japan office. Mr. Ohshida brings extensive experience from a major Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer, where he served for almost a decade as a strong interface with multinational-based customer accounts.

Telenor Connexion is additionally appointing Mr. Thomas Strandin as Head of Sales for the Asia Pacific region. Mr. Strandin has worked with B2B sales within the telecom industry for more than 10 years. His experience and contributions in the wireless sector span from security and smart grids applications to mobile health, and other industry verticals.

“The appointment of Mr. Ohshida and Mr. Strandin is part of Telenor Connexion’s continued geographic expansion initiative to increase our presence in key growth markets. Mr. Ohshida’s expertise in the region and strong technical and sales competence will further strengthening our local presence and support business growth”, says Per Simonsen, CEO at Telenor Connexion. “The extensive experience and industry-specific knowledge Mr. Strandin brings, will strongly contribute to the company’s continued success in the region”.

The expanded presence in Japan and South East Asia will allow Telenor Connexion to increase its level of proactive service awareness to customers and partners across Asia and deliver advanced value added services.

Telenor Connexion already serves a number of key customers in Asia with world-class premium embedded connectivity solutions, spanning multiple vertical markets such as automotive, asset management and security. Examples of customers applying the company’s business and life critical applications to achieve cost savings, flexibility and improved services are Nissan and Hitachi.

Telenor Connexion is wholly owned by Telenor Group, one of the world’s major mobile operators. Telenor serves more than 100 million mobile subscribers in Asia and a total of 301 million subscribers worldwide.

I want to take this opportunity to post on my blog that Ericsson did not buy Telenor Connexion.  Instead they bought our highly reliable and flexible technology platform for delivering business and life critical M2M connectivity. After these assets, including 11 qualified members of our staff, are transferred to Ericsson we will lease back the needed M2M services from Ericsson. Our customers will continue to experience the same high quality of service from us. And continue to benefit from our proactive service approach on the market. It is only the ownership of the platform that has changed.

Many also question that we sold off our “differentiator” and wonder how we will continue to lead the market for M2M connectivity. It’s good to know that we still believe that a dedicated M2M platform is needed for delivering premium services, but we realized that we don’t need to own that platform. The platform itself was never the differentiator, but rather the fact that it was dedicated, and supported by a highly qualified Service Desk created the differentiation. Our Service desk focuses and will continue to focus solely on M2M connectivity. 

What’s next then from the leaders in premium M2M connectivity? Telenor Connexion will differentiate going forward by introducing new Value Added Services (VAS) closely tied to connectivity.  Pay attention to my blog, and others in Telenor Connexion to get more details about what those VAS will be in the very near future!

Gwenn Larsson / Head of Marketing

Telenor Connexion, the world leader in premium M2M solutions for business and life critical applications, today announced the expansion of its executive team in North America to meet the growing demand for M2M services in the region. 

With the M2M market continuing to grow at a significant pace, Telenor Connexion expanded its business development team in the Americas with the addition of George LeBron, Head of Market Development, and Marcus Rodrigues, Technical Sales Manager. Telenor Connexion’s newest team members will continue to build on the company’s established successes with customers such as Volvo, Nissan, Tom Tom, General Electrics and Securitas.

The expansion further strengthens the company’s position in the M2M, telematics and wireless markets, as well as supports strong growth in vertical markets such as healthcare, automotive and insurance and asset management. Through the company’s unique proactive service awareness solution, customers in these markets will have full control of status, location and performance of connected devices, while enjoying highest level of customer service awareness and response.

“Telenor Connexion has a proven record in delivering reliable, future-proof and dynamic M2M solutions that deliver cost savings, flexibility, efficiency and improved services,” said Fredrik Åkerlind, Head of Regions Americas. “With LeBron’s expertise in the region, Telenor Connexion will further explore new opportunities and provide new and existing customers with world-class premium embedded connectivity solutions for business and life critical applications.”

LeBron brings more than 20 years of international wireless experience to Telenor Connexion. Prior to joining the company, LeBron served as Vice President of sales for the embedded wireless technology division and the wireless network services division at a leading M2M MVNO. He also held key positions at one of the industry’s top global wireless module OEMs, Wavecom Inc., including General Manager for Latin America. His experience and contributions in the wireless sector date back to 1991, and span from mass wireless consumer applications to automotive telematics, mobile health, and other industry verticals.

Rodrigues is seasoned professional with more than 11 years of experience in the telecommunications and IT business. He recently served as Senior Sales Engineer and Senior Solutions Architect at MFormation Technologies, Inc. His previous employers include Worldcell where he worked as Business Development Manager and Network Operations Engineer, Delphi Automotive and LogicaCMG.

Both LeBron and Rodrigues will report to Fredrik Åkerlind, Head of Sales Region Americas, located in California.

For more information, please contact:

Kristina Grandin, PR and Communications, Telenor Connexion
kristina.grandin@telenor.com , +46 734 25 26 21