According to a recent Statista study, more than half of the German-speaking population either would or already do use cars with Internet connectivity.
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 solution for consumers will soon be 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.
A smart solution also 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 services based on real-time data to increase customer proximity. 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 service platform.
Consultancy firm Roland Berger expects some 90 million cars in Europe to be retrofitted with connectivity functions as an interim solution by 2020.