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Birdstep To Take the Connected Car A Step Ahead at the Upcoming CTIA with its Wi-Fi Driven Experience Continuity Solution

Lonnie Schilling, CEO of Birdstep Technology Image Credit: Birdstep Technology

Birdstep Technology recently released a whitepaper entitled ' Experience Continuity: The key enabler for the Connected Car?' introducing the use of Wi-Fi connectivity as the smart alternative for bringing data connection to the car. Being able to leverage on Wi-Fi, for example from the home broadband connection, enables users to bring the required online content to the car's digital platform without the overhead of paying for every byte consumed in the vehicle. 

Based on PCC Mobile Broadband's interview with Lonnie Schilling, the CEO of Birdstep Technology, the company is driving the connected car market towards adopting seamless connectivity technologies that have over the years, enabled mobile data users to save on data costs while maintaining best user experience on their mobile devices. According to Birdstep, its Experience Continuity (ExO) solution ensures that mobile users continue to enjoy seamless online experience while their devices move between different connections within the heterogenuous network (HetNet). The ability of Birdstep's ExO to maintain seamless user experience not only across different connectivity technologies, but also across different screens enables the same solution to deliver data connection to the car, just as the appetite for in-vehicle infotainment and telematics services starts to pick up in some key markets, such as the US. It also addresses operators' concern on the increasing demand for bandwidth expected when more and more devices and things become connected in the Internet-of-Things(IoT) space. 

More interestingly, Lonnie highlighted the need for the focus on the connected car to shift from connectivity to content and services, which is the real value that the idea of connected car strives to deliver. Birdstep focuses on service and on ensuring that data that is consumed from the vehicle's digital platform, either via bluetooth, via in-vehicle hotspot or any other medium, is delivered seamlessly at minimal additional costs for the user. Lonnie also shared the different use cases for connected car services - infotainment and navigation services, vehicle telematics and government mandated services - and how leveraging on cost effective options in providing data connectivity to the car will enable various stakeholders including automakers, the government, insurance companies and the drivers themselves to fulfill their specific needs and requirements.

Lonnie Schilling will be speaking on the 'Experience Continuity - the Ultimate Differentiating Feature' during the CTIA on the 9th of September at the Venetian (Intelligent Networks Stage). 

“Who’s going to pay for all that cellular capacity and why pay for cellular when I can use my home Wi-Fi when the car is parked in the garage? Remember, in the US a car is parked for 92% of its life. Like a tablet, a car is nomadic in nature, so when parked, it may be more cost-effective to use Wi-Fi. As with any HetNet, strong Experience Continuity will ensure a positive customer experience.”

-         Lonnie Schilling, CEO of Birdstep Technology 

Author

Founder and CEO at The Fast Mode | NFV/MANO/Openstack | Telecoms Service Innovations & Monetization | Speaker, Moderator and Analyst

Prushothma brings more than 22 years of experience in designing and delivering some of the most advanced service innovations in the telecoms industry.

Follow him on Twitter @prushothma, LinkedIn @prushothma

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