Drive smarter

Nowadays, cars are simply connected – with adapters and smartphone apps from Deutsche Telekom.

According to a recent study by the German statistics portal Statista, more than half of the German-speaking population already drives cars with Internet access or would be willing to do so in future. Yet only a handful of cars actually offer built-in access. With the retrofit solutions from Deutsche Telekom and T-Systems, car drivers, manufacturers, and other companies can equip both new and used cars with connectivity.

The ultimate mobile hotspot

The consumer solution is available in all Telekom shops and comprises an adapter with integrated SIM card that slots into the vehicle's on-board diagnostics interface (OBD-II) along with a companion app for iPhones and Android smartphones. Drivers benefit from real-time connectivity features such as tracking and maintenance data, in addition to turning the car into a moving Wi-Fi hotspot for the entire family. 

Plus a smart solution for business customers

Tailor-made car connectivity solutions are also available for business customers. The Digital Drive retrofit package comes as a white label version comprising adapter, SIM card, and app from Deutsche Telekom's business customer arm, T-Systems. Companies can add their own branding and their own extra services for end customers. For example, car manufacturers, dealers, or fleet operators can offer their customers custom-tailored services, based on real-time data, to increase customer proximity. 

Hosting on German servers

Digital Drive includes all services from a single source – from the hardware itself to support and operation by T-Systems and integration into business processes and back-end systems. Data is hosted in Germany on T-Systems' multi-IoT cloud. Consultancy firm Roland Berger expects some 90 million cars in Europe to be retrofitted with connectivity functions as an interim solution by 2020.

Mercedes Me Adapter

T-Systems has developed a specific retrofit solution working closely with the carmaker Daimler. Even owners of car models have been produced before the linefitted equipment of connectivity, can easily turn their vehicles into connected cars. So, the Mercedes me Adapter enables them to profit from online services based on vehicle data. With a free App for iOS or Android the driver can view his vehicle status, use services for car maintenance or additional services such as driver’s logbook and fuel management.