17 October 2014: Yesterday marked the last day of Futurecom in Sao Paulo, the most important telecoms event in Brazil. The event has had the presence of top telco operators, technology and software firms and systems integrators with key themes including video and online content, high speed networks (both fixed and mobile), cloud services and, this year, more “digital” and “industry oriented” propositions like Smart Cities and Connected Car services.
On the “Digital services” front, during the event Antonio Carlos Valente announced a pilot with the Aguas de San Pedro municipality, new content offerings like the “Nuvem do Jornaleiro” for virtual press management, the “Kantoo” languages platform, or the “Vivo Música by Napster” and the “Firefox Hello” smartphone.
On the Connected Car front, systems integrators showcased application enablement platform designed to simplify the development of connected car services for Automotive OEMs. In this same space, Carro Connectado real life demo with a Vivo’s branded car has been one of the most attended at the event with great acceptance from Brazilian audience.
Local mainstream media have welcomed the announcement at the event. Roberto della Piazza, VP of Digital Business at Telefonica Vivo, has stated “The moment is now for the Connected Car and with our partnership with Zubie, Telefonica Vivo is leading in this space by bringing innovative automotive related consumer services to market”.
A reality coming soon
With Vivo service, drivers can connect their car with their smartphone to receive important diagnostic information directly to their phone. Error codes, problem reports or reminders to visit the service station are conveyed in no time and in an uncomplicated manner. By drawing on information about the condition of the engine or the voltage of the battery, the driver can evaluate possible damage – and thus prevent unpleasant surprises when the car is taken for its service.
There are predictions that 90% of cars will be connected by 2020. Furthermore, there is significant interest among consumers who, according to Telefonica´s recent Connected Car Industry Report already consider connected features as one of the most important criteria when choosing their next car.
Telefonica Vivo “Carro Conectado” product is set to be available by mid-2015 in Brazil. The product, built in partnership with US-based Zubie, has recently been launched in Germany as O2 Car Connection both at O2 Shops and via the O2 online channels.
