Mok Oh, Vice President of New Services, Samsung Electronics’ Enterprise Business, welcomes visitors to Samsung’s “Car, Connected” event at MWC 2016.

Safety First

Equipped with internet connectivity and software that enable drivers to stream music, look up traffic and weather conditions, prevent their teenagers from texting and even power driving-assistance services such as self-parking, the connected car is providing entirely new value to drivers.

Furthermore, utilizing driving data lowers costs to insurance and third-party service providers, disrupting the automobile market. Growing at a compound annual growth rate of 30 percent, this next generation vehicle is creating massive new business opportunities and making consumers rethink the way they drive.

Samsung’s Connect Auto service features an app that allows users to monitor their driving habits and helps them improve their driving behavior.

Samsung, too, is hoping to transform transportation with its new connected car solution, Samsung Connect Auto. Slated to launch in the second quarter of this year, starting in the US, Samsung Connect Auto uses real-time alerts to help consumers improve their driving behavior, including increased fuel efficiency, while offering a Wi-Fi hotspot and other features to create a multimedia center for the car. And what’s better is it plugs directly into the on-board diagnostics connector making it compatible with most automobiles on the road today.

Hyesung Ha, Senior Vice President of Samsung’s Enterprise Business, discusses the importance of privacy and security in the connected car industry.

Despite these benefits, some consumers are hesitant to utilize connected car technologies. Delivering the keynote speech at Samsung’s connected car event, Hyesung Ha, Senior Vice President of Samsung’s Enterprise Business, noted a McKinsey report that found two main reasons for consumers’ hesitations are privacy and safety.

“We understand our success depends on consumers’ trust in us and the products and services that we provide,” Ha explained. “The data and information of users is our top priority, and we work hard to safeguard the valuable information of our consumers.”

Samsung has taken steps to reassure hesitant consumers by securing Samsung Connect Auto with eSE (embeded Secure Element) based on Samsung KNOX, the most robust mobile security platform in the world. This essentially creates a firewall protecting hackers from accessing Samsung Connect Auto, preventing user data from falling in to the wrong hands.

Representatives of Samsung’s partner companies share their insights as automotive industry leaders on trends, challenges, benefits and the future of the connected car.

A Connected Ecosystem for a Truly Connected Car

Yet, even when armed with the technology and security needed to power a connected vehicle, the industry cannot fully thrive without a connected ecosystem. As such, Samsung is taking the reins to build a linked network of carriers, insurance companies, roadside assistance operators and maintenance networks that responds to the changing demands of current and potential automobile owners.

Representatives from Samsung’s major partner companies, including FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Willis Towers Watson, AT&T, SEAT, Cisco and Tantalum Corporation were part of a panel discussion at the event and explored how always-on automobiles have already begun to improve road safety and change driving behaviors for the better. The panel also touched on the existing challenges and potential benefits for all parties involved. Insurers, for example, can not only provide potential discounts to their current customers, but also new services to customers who are willing to opt-in and share their driving behavior data from their connected car.

By bridging the gaps between consumer electronics, IoT, and the automotive industries, Samsung is transforming the always-on automobile to be safe, secure, eco-friendly and productive.

In its establishment of valuable partner relationships, Samsung is helping to bridge the gap between the automotive, consumer electronics and IoT industries by making its products and partner services seamlessly integrated for a driving experience that is safe, secure, eco-friendly and, of course, fun.

And while this is only the beginning of the connected car era, the future of the industry is bright. With experts predicting that all cars will be connected in the not-too-distant future, there are huge opportunities for new applications and services that take advantage of this always-on connection. Samsung Connect Auto, as well as the technology leader’s efforts to build a diverse, connected ecosystem, is a step in the right direction. Through these endeavors, the company will bring the car into the already connected world of smartphones, smart homes and wearables, ultimately allowing the automobile to be the next part of the IoT revolution.

Samsung Electronics is helping drivers embark on a new journey through its ground-breaking connected car solution, Samsung Connect Auto. Providing benefits to consumers and businesses alike, Samsung is delivering an ecosystem of services and products to enable a safer, more eco-friendly and more fun driving experience. Consumers gain comfort knowing their vehicle is secure, and enterprises gain productivity through fleet management capabilities and services offered by Samsung as well as partners.

Samsung Connect Auto plugs directly into the OBD II port underneath the steering wheel. It uses real-time alerts to help users improve their driving behavior, including increased fuel efficiency, while offering a Wi-Fi connection to keep passengers online while on-the-go. The solution is kept secure using Samsung KNOX , the company’s market-leading, defense-grade mobile security platform. Samsung Connect Auto provides the mass market with an affordable connected car solution that places safety and security first, while enriching in-car and out-of-car experience. Samsung Connect Auto will initially be available in the second quarter in the U.S. AT&T will be the first wireless provider of the solution in the U.S.

“We have been listening to our customers and pushing boundaries to create a connected car ecosystem that seamlessly integrates our products and partner services for a better driving experience,” said Dr. Injong Rhee, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D, Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through collaborations with valuable partners and experts across many industries, we are carrying out our vision of bringing IoT technology to people’s everyday lives.”

“Samsung’s willingness to work with others to create an ecosystem of true interoperability will allow it to be one of the leaders in the aftermarket connected vehicle space,” said Chris Penrose, Senior Vice President, Internet of Things, AT&T Business Solutions. “These are exciting times for connected car innovation, and we look forward to offering customers this powerful new option.”

“Orange Business Services is proud to collaborate with Samsung to jointly provide advanced IoT/M2M expertise and services to the automotive industry. This market is growing exponentially, and we are eager to contribute to the Samsung connected car ecosystem in Europe and beyond,” said Valérie Cussac, Vice President Mobile France & International, Orange.

“This new mobile distribution platform is a potential game changer that we believe will bring usage-based insurance to the mass market,” said Geoff Werner, Global Telematics Leader, Willis Towers Watson. “We are excited about collaborating with Samsung and Tantalum, leveraging our insurance analytics to encourage safer driving and help consumers get access to better insurance rates.”

“AXA is delighted to partner with Samsung in the development of a secured Connected Car ecosystem that will bring peace of mind for our customers, provide them with additional insurance and assistance services and contribute to enhance drivers’ behaviors,” said Serge Morelli, Deputy CEO of AXA Partners and CEO of AXA Assistance.

Safety and Peace of Mind

The backbone of Samsung Connect Auto is KNOX security and Tizen OS for interoperability. Samsung KNOX provides security from the hardware through the software levels, including applications. Prioritizing security differentiates Samsung Connect Auto from competitor offerings. Developers can leverage Tizen and Samsung’s Software Development Kit (SDK) to further evolve additional services. Samsung also encourages safe driving behavior by using geo-fencing and driver rating algorithms. In the event of an accident, emergency alerts notify the driver’s contacts and accident concierge services are provided. A “Find My Car” app also helps in locating your car in real-time using LTE and GPS.

Have Fun and Be Eco-friendly

A powerful LTE Wi-Fi hotspot enables multi-user internet access that lets passengers in the car stream content and play online games. Fuel efficiency analysis helps drivers consume less fuel through the use of proprietary algorithms that analyze miles travelled, time on the road and price per gallon – a valuable feature for those in the transportation and logistics field.

Save Money and Be Productive

A virtual mechanic intelligently checks your car status from the on-board diagnostic port to recommend maintenance and repair services offered by a specialized network. This enables quick notification of performance and helps reduce repair costs.

Drivers can leverage the solution’s Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) feature by opting to share their vehicle data to receive valuable insurance offerings.

For those professionals who are often on the road, journey logs automatically generate an email report to help users track expenses while traveling for work, providing business mobility efficiency.

Partner Ecosystem

Samsung is creating a new partner ecosystem of carriers, insurance companies, roadside assistance operators and maintenance networks. Additionally, by partnering with auto manufacturers, Samsung is helping to bridge the gap between the automotive industry and the mobile world. By investing in the creation of connected car services on both sides of the market – consumers and enterprises – Samsung will continue to build valuable partner relationships that provide drivers with a premier service.

Companies currently participating as part of Samsung’s connected car ecosystem include Amdocs, AT&T, AXA, Blink by Agero, China Unicom, Cisco, Crawford & Company, Ericsson, Europcar, HERE, IBM, Jasper, Oberthur Technologies, Openbay, Orange, Tantalum and Willis Towers Watson.

Samsung Connect Auto will be on display at this year’s Mobile World Congress.