At the Mobile World Congress 2017, currently being held in Barcelona, Spain, from February 27-March 2, German multinational enterprise application software developer, SAP SE, has demonstrated new technology to make life easier for drivers and rental car users through Internet of Things (IoT) collaboration with Concur Technologies, Hertz and Nokia.
A part of SAP’s Leonardo innovation portfolio, the SAP Vehicles Network system creates an intelligent, automated experience, from car rental to parking, and fueling location and payment, to integrated navigation and expense management for business travelers. SAP has also announced that Mojio, the connected vehicle platform and application provider for Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile USA, has joined its Vehicles Network and will provide parking and fueling through its smartphone app in the USA and Europe.
The SAP Vehicles Network, built on the company’s Cloud Platform, enables participating network companies to provide mobility services to drivers and passengers. By standardizing the business processes, the Vehicles Network enables integration and collaboration to facilitate new revenue streams and business opportunities for network members. Through the network, member companies can offer secure, convenient services, independent of devices or vehicles, such as parking, fueling and location-based services.
The new collaboration draws on the strengths of the five companies, which are members of the Nokia-founded IoT Community, a worldwide ecosystem of collaborating companies:
• Nokia provided its Intelligent Management Platform for All Connected Things (IMPACT) to securely control and manage devices and sensors in the vehicle, including the personalization of driver settings and entertainment systems, as well as the automatic configuration of in-vehicle communications without Bluetooth. IMPACT works in conjunction with payment systems in SAP’s Vehicles Network for parking and fueling authorization;
• Hertz is developing new products and services for its car rental customers, using connected-car technology to integrate travel and itinerary planning, along with in-car personalization, through its customer apps;
• Through Concur’s TripLink integration with its other products, business travelers can automate route guidance, in addition to accessing seamless trip reporting capabilities for all travel-related expenses, including parking and fueling transactions;
• Mojio’s cloud integration with the SAP Vehicles Network enables drivers to plan and reserve a parking spot based on calendar events or search, as well as to find and pay for a space in real time, based on the connected vehicle’s location;
• SAP’s Vehicles Network makes any car smart and transactional by providing drivers with cashless access to on- and off-street parking and connected fueling stations. It minimizes unnecessary drive time and fuel expenditures, and helps reduce traffic and emissions caused by drivers searching for spaces.
“With leading partners like Hertz and Nokia, and new customers like Mojio, we are delivering new levels of value for businesses and end consumers based on our Cloud Platform, Leonardo, and tight integration with Concur solutions,” said Dr Tanja Rueckert, executive vice president for IoT and digital supply chain at SAP. “Our Vehicles Network puts the end consumer in the driver’s seat by transforming the vehicle into the ultimate digital wallet and making car rental into a seamless, intelligent experience.”
