Monetizing IP Communications - M2M Archives

Linux Foundation Embedded Solutions Director's Case for Open Source and Connected Car

2013-06-17T22:09:36Z

The car of 2013 is different from the one I learned to drive, a 1974 Ford Maverick with rear federal bumpers, aluminum wheels and an AM/FM radio. Beginning with a couple of audio podcasts showcasing Mercedes Benz and Ottawa-based Star Motors dealership, my research of the "connected car" has been unbelievably exciting. My most recent audio podcast interview is with Rudolf Streif, Director of Embedded Solutions at The Linux Foundation. According to the world's most talked about open source organization, people expect the same connectivity in their cars as they do in their homes and offices. "From dashboard computing to In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI), automobiles are becoming the latest wireless devices ... but on wheels, truly mobile.*

Around 01:54:00 in the mp3 file connected car audio podcast, Rudi gives a kind compliment to * Mark Spencer, the creator of Asterisk, a Linux-based open-sourced PBX software. He describes the Linux Foundation as nonprofit industry consortium to protect, promote and advance Linux and open source. Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, along with the globe of open source developers have an ongoing goal to protect Linux open source by keeping it free. Businesses around the world depend upon the power of this software, and because it is free as opposed to proprietary, millions of products and services have been launched very quickly.

Training is one of the most utilized methods of promoting and advancing the use of Linux software. Mr. Streif facilitates the "embedded solutions" aspect. Rudi says in making the case for open source and the connected cars, "At least 95 % of the software in place with a connected car is not apparent to the consumer, the customer who is using it ... It doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money on that % of the software when it is not visible to the end-user. You want to focus your resources, money and time into developing what is valuable to your customers."

The price to add "infotainment" set up to a new car starts at $2000. One's smart phone can already make phone calls, can assist in navigation, can control the temperature in one's car, can enable listening to music. Why pay for the $2000 "infotainment" when consumers already have on a $200 cell phone everything that can do all this? (This is the question asked most often by anyone being introduced to the concept of the "connected car.")

"Linux assists car manufacturers, OEMs and others to focus on value-added services and features and to leverage what IT and telecommunications industry already have done for them. An example is Android which is a Linux-based system. Everything we really need to make phone calls and emails ... you already have in Android Linux authorizing system stack freely available to you. Why do you want to re-invent the wheel?" Rudi queries.

"The competition for carmaker A is not carmaker B. It is really the smart phone makers, the Samsungs and the Apples ... handing all this functionality to their customers at a fraction of the cost," he continues.

Mr. Streif notes, "There is a Linux-based automotive workgroup that brings together the automotive industry, communications industry and open source community to advance Linux and open source in the automotive industry. More needs to be done in the Linux and open source to make it fit for the automotive industry ... It's about enabling engineers working in the automotive companies and their suppliers to get them familiarized with open source."

One current open source project, that began in April 2013 at a Linux Foundation Summit in San Francisco, is with Land Rover, a British car manufacturer that specializes in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It began with an automotive infotainment contest that invited global open source developers to participate in. Winners of this automotive infotainment contest were announced at the Automotive Linux Summit in Tokyo: Tata Elxsi, Ford Motor Company, and Reaktor.

When asked what is his opinion on current connected car trends and the future, Rudi responds that we do not know what the consumer wants tomorrow, but we do know ... when customers want something, they want it now. Platforms need to be available to enable these features and services quickly. He believes the connected car is a new way for OEMs, after market and other industry players to provide value-added services that consumers want.

An example of what is in the future according to Mr. Streif? Some "value-add" that the connected car can offer say ... for a salesperson. She is driving to her next appointment. Her connected car is able to provide integrated services such as give traffic updates, make suggestions to call or email contacts about being late, and share best parking locations that have empty spots.

There are many highly charged debates surrounding the connected car and not just open source versus proprietary platforms. Another is that of the wireless communication of high-speed data choices that include LTE, 3G, and so on. Connected Cars Conference, scheduled June 25 - 26, 2013 is colocated with LTE World Summit in Amsterdam. Rudi Streif believes that LTE needs to create open standards for connecting cars to the cloud services which will insure interoperability across car makers and models that cross country borders.

Rudolf will be presenting some of the topics such as the importance of open platforms and standards (as opposed to proprietary) for sustainable business models discussed in the Linux Foundation DIDX audio podcast on the second day of the Connected Cars Conference 2013.

Toogethr Founder Voorzanger on Peer to Peer Transport and Connected Cars

2013-06-13T23:26:35Z

Many thanks to Connected Cars Conference scheduled June 25 - 26, 2013 in Amsterdam for introducing Martin Voorzanger founder of startup Toogethr to DIDX podcast channel. Toogethr offers support that facilitates the popular peer-to-peer transport (car sharing) idea in new and better ways than ever. In an audio podcast interview, Mr. Voorzanger explains how Toogethr works, how it fits into the Connected Cars industry, where connected cars may take us in the future, and what are current and realistic trends.

(Click to listen to the 9 minute connected car audio podcast interview with Mr. Voorzanger.)

Toogether wants to make mobility more social, more fun, and more lucrative for all involved. The service is launched and available in the Netherlands and Belgium. (I wonder how long before Toogethr will be available in the USA?) People use the platform via a desktop or laptop on a browser or via an app on tablets, smart phones and other small mobile devices.

The app enables users to find who is available to give rides and to receive rides. One can decide yes or no to collaborate. I believe one can also decide to make one's Toogethr profile public and accept all or more private and accept only those we know.

A dream of the future connected car? Check the "driverless car" projects and other car manufacturers. How about vehicles that can be used by anybody? Command one to your location via a mobile phone prompt to take you wherever you want to go. Such a service may also pick other people up on the way to fetching you and so on which again shows how somethiing like Toogethr fits in. Choose between open carpooling, carpooling with those you know or private car with first to last being most expensive to least expensive.

Current trends, Martin says, point to the reality of more and more cars integrated with the Internet. It's just a matter of connecting the car to the Internet in a smart way and to have access to many data sources so decisions can be made by apps.

When people think of going from one place to another, especially the younger generations, they don’t first think of a vehicle. They cherish their mobile devices more than their cars and just want the most convenient way to trek from point A to point B. They’re looking for a solution to their transport demand. The idea of Toogethr seems to mix the best of carpooling and public transportation with interesting personal and business empowerment. Think of the gas saved and the CO2 released to Earth's atmosphere reduced.

Mr. Voorzanger believes that the world does not need more cars. Cars can be of better use than each one transporting one individual at a time in long traffic jam waits. Cars can be enabled with new services provided over the Internet with numerous benefits as discussed in the audio podcast with Martin. Toogethr's founder hopes to meet other companies and potential customers at Connected Cars Conference in Amsterdam June 25 - 26, 2013. He would like to discuss the "value add" of Toogethr and how it can be integrated with other services to improve connected cars.

The platform for Toogethr is open, and it has a free API. Martin's aim is to share data with multimodal (quite complex) root planners.

Download the Toogethr app for Android and Apple at http://www.toogethr.com/ or in the Google Play Store or iOS app store.

Be sure to take advantage of your Audible account during those long traffic jams until your geographical area gets Toogethr.

A Caring BBC Wants to See Connected Cars as Simple as Possible

2013-06-07T20:10:59Z

The past 30 days of podcasting with M2M experts have been enlightening and educational in the specific area of the Connected Car. The most recent was with Mark Friend, Controller at BBC Radio & Music Multiplatform. He leads the interactive services for the British Broadcasting Corporation's radio networks and music output across digital radio, desktop, TV and mobile platforms. The digital radio strategies and services include listen again, the iPlayer Radio app, visual live radio, podcasts, social media, hybrid radio, archive, major music events and text and data services.

Mark Friend was previously the BBC’s Controller of Strategy where he led the Charter settlement in 2005 and developed the BBC’s new services vision which underpinned it. Before joining the BBC, Mark spent several years launching and running new businesses at ITN (Independent Television News, a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom) and ... riding a motorbike halfway around the world across the former Soviet Union and USA.

(Following is not a word for word transcript of the interview, but instead, it is a combination of transcript and summaries of the first ten minutes. Listen to the complete 17 minute interview on DIDX podcasts, iTunes, or UK podcast channels.)

Interviewer Suzanne Bowen: When I think of the BBC, which has over 100 million listeners around the world, I think of a picture of one of the world's most popular public broadcasting stations who usually interviews others, but today, I have the privilege to interview you! Can we start by hearing some background information about the British Broadcasting Corporation and how the company fits into the Connected Cars industry?

BBC's Mark Friend: In the UK, 20 % of listening is in the car. An important aspect of that is that much of radio listening is quite passive; whereas, in the car, it is somewhat less passive. It is one of the few places where you'll get whole groups of people listening at once. I suppose the reason that we care about the connected car is that it is both an opportunity and a threat. We want to make the most of that.

A big organization like the BBC ... we make great video content, we have fantastic news operation, great sports operation, good weather ... we can present people the best of the BBC according to what is appropiate for the environment. In the short time, I just want to make sure that when you turn on that device in your car, the radio is nice and easy to use still ... not too complicated ... it's accessible. You can easily find your way to the stuff you love.

Complications lead to driver distractions. I know this is something the car industry cares about. Sophisticated simplicity is what you're after. That is what we care about. We want to make sure we are presenting the BBC well and ... radio well in the car.

Interviewer Suzanne Bowen: Listening in a car is less passive. Then, the second point you made ... whole groups are actually listening in a car, animatedly discussing it.

BBC's Mark Friend: For an organization like the BBC which is slightly different from commercial radio. We care about our radio having an impact. It's certainly cross-generational. Youth listening ... the car is one place where youth listening is holding up ... we haven't seen any reduction in radio listening, but it's possible that can come in the future unless we are presenting radio simply.

Interviewer Suzanne Bowen: When I picture the BBC, I think of it as one of the world's most popular broadcasting stations who usually interviews others, but today I have the privilege of interviewing you, Mark Friend. I realize ... if I have this correct ... you are the Controller of ...

BBC's Mark Friend: ... multi-platform for radio and music. Within the big content areas that you see, there is television, radio, and news. I work with the radio division because that's our primary interest. I'm also chairing an industry group in the UK, a technology group which is looking at two key platforms ... one is car and one is mobile. We have an interesting initiative in the UK which at the product level is bringing together commercial radio and the BBC into one product.

Part of what we are trying to do is to work together as a cohesive unit to make the most of opportunities in car. The same issues arise in both ultimately. You have broadcast radio, FM of dish radio and Internet radio nice and coherently. We have quite strong ideas here in the UK of how we should be mixing those things together to create the best car experience, and actually it is the same as mobile.

Interviewer Suzanne Bowen: You did mention something about the two entities, cars and mobile phones ... I keep hearing as I talk with different people involved in connected cars conference (which is taking place in Amsterdam, June 25 - 26, 2013) regarding the concept of the car is sort of like the new mobile phone.

BBC's Mark Friend: The ways of getting media out and into the car ... a lot of people are going to docking solutions. There are several different ways of trying to synchronize your phone with the car's steering wheel. My take on that is that it is still quite a complicated picture. There are several attempts to standardize and become a simpler thing to get that connection right.

I see the phone as really important in the experience of the connected car right now. We might end up with more embededd solutions, but I think the phone will be critically important, getting the connected car experience right. Actually, there is a lot of similarity between being in the car and listening on the phone. Obviously, you are on the move typically ... trying to present simple, elegant roots into a great listening experience. Indeed, for us, a great viewing experience also and tethering that to the different devices, so that ...

Focus it really on a listening experience ... primarily what people want; whereas, the phone is slightly more personal and you really interact more with your phone. A lot about radio is just keeping it elegant and simple.

Interviewer Suzanne Bowen: May I ask two questions that are a bit opposite in nature? The first is ... what are your thoughts on current industry trends in M2M and the Connected Car? The second is what unique insights and opinions do you have on the Connected Cars industry moving forward? Help us peek into the future.

BBC's Mark Friend: I can see how industries around the car sector ... some will be transformed by the connected car. Certainly in the UK, where we are some way from seeing any critical mass, but it's a great hope for the future.

From an industry point of view, from a broadcaster's point of view, it all looks a bit complicated. How's the BBC really going to establish itself? We have some stunning services, so how are we going to make those come alive in the connected car?

(My thought here: This is one of the crucial question that many technology companies are honestly posing to themselves. How is our company going to make its services come alive in the connected car?)

We have lots experience doing this on TV devices, radio devices and mobile phones. At the moment, there are quite a few different environments we would have to build our apps into. That looks complicated, potentially expensive ... at the moment, we are looking around ... what would be a simpler way ... Phones seem simpler because of the small list of environments such as Apple, Android, Blackberry and Windows. Connected Cars involves many more environments.

Mr. Friend notes that the BBC cares about what will work for the listeners and users as well as the best situation as a broadcaster in what looks very complicated. June 25 - 26, 2013 are the two days that thousands of the ecosystem related to connected cars will study and share research and business and technical development. Visit Connected Cars website. The conference will be in Amsterdam.

Around 13 minutes into the audio podcast, Mark describes an example of the future of connected cars from the point of view of the BBC and broadcasting services.

What did Mark Friend have to say about how being co-located with the world’s largest LTE event (LTE World Summit) ... will impact the debate at Connected Cars?

Mark believes there will be more integration between broadcast and Internet and explains why. Each has advantages such as FM and DAR's quality connection an unlike cellular, the signal does not drop out. The more powerful LTE (as opposed to 3G and 4G) may be the answer to the integration. Why not let the Internet give us a bit more information via return paths?

Mark Friend says, "How we bring everything together into a bigger offering than what we do currently in a really cost-effective way that is true to what people expect from the BBC ... is the job.

Machina Research Matt Hatton Says Generation X or Y Expect to Be Connected

2013-06-03T17:40:10Z

Machina Research Director Matt Hatton and I talked about Connected Cars as a vertical sector of M2M (Machine to Machine). The DIDX-sponsored Machina Research audio podcast is available for listening. Mr. Hatton explained who the Connected Cars "players" are such auto manufacturers and the companies that make the hardware and software that reside on the vehicles. Machina Research talks with those companies and also with the companies who provide advice to companies that actually provide the networks (mobile operators).

The following is a transcript of our conversation beginning with my request for Matt Hatton to give us his thoughts on current Connected Cars industry trends and what kinds of cool concepts and experiences we might expect in the future.

Suzanne Bowen:
So, now it's clear what Machina Research does and who they work with. How about your thoughts on industry trends, maybe your unique insights and opinions you have about the Connected Cars industry moving forward? What is in the future?

Matt Hatton:
Well, it's almost all about the future. Right? When we come to connected cars ... there has been some adoption so far. We've seen some serious numbers from the likes of GM with OnStar and with Connected SatMap ... stolen vehicle recovery and free telematic solutions, but the potential is just only being tapped now. If you look at the auto OEM, increasingly they see this as a critical, as being a must have ...

Spent a lot of time over the last couple of months speaking with auto OEMs. What comes through in those discussions is that it is a must-have now. The connectivity is an essential part. The speed at which you move toward that connected car as an OEM and maybe the approach may depend on your typical target market. If you are aiming squarely at what might have been described once as Generation X or Y, people who are used to being connected all the time, then inevitably your product will be need to be connected.

If your product is for mass market, the approach might be a little slower and a little bit different, but the direction of travel is, pardon the pun, is pretty obvious. We're moving towards the world of the Connected Car. Anticipation is that by 2025, about 90 % of vehicles will have some form of connectivity.

Some of this is driven by regulation, so you've got ECALL in the European Union. You have GLONASS in Russia and CONTRAN 245 in Brazil and a variety of other regulations. That's pushing some connectivity, but a lot of it is driven by the auto manufacturers themselves as they seek to build a closer relationship with their customers to meet that requirement for connectivity and drive some additional revenue stream.

One auto manufacturer ... not sure I can name who because I suspect we were told in confidence about this, but they did a survey of what the main key drivers were for ... again another pun ... most impossible to avoid when you are talking about the auto industry. The top three issues when picking a car ten years ago ... traditional things of performance, style and so forth. Just last year, they found that connectivity and issues associated came in at number two in the requiremnts for their particular set of customers. Now, they were a higher end market. Possibly that is the reason for that.

In a world where there is an awful lot to distinguish a set of vehicles and if you were to be uncharitable, you would say that. Connectivity becomes an issue. It is illustrative the fact that we're getting more and more interested in having this sort of connected vehicle. One of the big interesting areas is that it is not just about taking the existing way you drive and adding some connectivities like you can keep track of Facebook or Twitter. It's nice to be able to use Google Local Search when you are driving around, but one of the more fundamental things it does is that connectivity provides a potential shift in business model.

Take something like a Zipcar. http://www.zipcar.com/ Those kinds of companies are really enabled by connectivity, so you are allowing people the freedom to own a car or not own a car ... to make use of shared vehicles. For me, these new business models are more interesting perhaps because the creation of a smart phone on wheels which is what we tend to think about the Connected Car.

Suzanne Bowen:
Interesting. This is going to open up some conversation, I'm sure.

Matt Hatton:
I hope so. I certainly hope so.

Suzanne Bowen:
I know that Machina Research is participating in Connected Cars which is colocated with what is practically the world's largetst LTE event, the LTE World Summit. I believe it is June 25 - 26, 2013 in Amsterdam. Would you tell us what you guys will be doing there?

Matt Hatton:
We are going to be chairing day two at the Connected Car Summit. Lots of interesting participants such as OEMs and mobile operators and a variety of others. We are also participating in the World Summit itself. I am sitting on a panel at that event as well.

It is quite interesting that the two are being colocated. I think it is appropriate. When you talk about connecting vehicles ... increasingly you are talking about LTE. For a couple of reasons ... for one ... for the bandwidth requirement ... not the major one but mostly for the future-proofing I would say is the big driver. We are heading towards an LTE future.

If you are expecting these vehicles to be using these services for the next ten years, then you need a technology that is going to be around for that period of time. It is very possible that 2G and 3G will be, but certainly LTE will be.

Suzanne Bowen:
Good points. Thank you, Matt Hatton, for talking with us and we look forward to seeing your company at Connected Cars in June 2013 in Amsterdam.

Matt Hatton:
My pleasure. Thanks, Suzanne.

Connected Car TNO's Yes on Commercial Productivity and Safety, No to Traffic Jams and Emissions

2013-05-29T15:08:06Z

TNO Managing Director of TNO Transport and Mobility Leo Kusters talks about connected cars and TNO's notable work in the M2M automotive technology industry. TNO has been involved in connected car research for over 20 years, making it a pioneer and well-informed expert. Some of the latest projects are aimed at reducing traffic jams and emissions and increasing productive and enabling commercial applications.

He shares on DIDX podcast of his insights on current industry trends in traffic management and such. An important aim of TNO is a future that is faster, cleaner but safer. Those three adjectives do speak directly to people's anxieties over present day transportation and the future of connected cars.

TNO carefully works with a growing number of government connnected cars experiments and iniatives.

To the question of how Amsterdam's LTE World Summit collocation with Connected Cars in June 2013 in Amsteram affects the automotive M2M debate, Mr. Kusters shares some wisdom. First, he says, some things you just cannot do on your own. In other words, toogether, the connected cars ecosystem which includes OEMs such as Mercedes Benz, Ford and Kia; application developers such Toogethr, research organizations such as TNO, mobile operators such as Orange and AT&T; and more, can better meet the safety, productivity, mobility, transport, and communication needs of consumers and businesses, individuals and organizations.

Leo says that connected cars are a hot topic in Amsterdam because the government is actively interested and involved with industry. This sets a precedent for other nations and the globe as a whole. Amsterdam's success in connected cars and all types of connected technology is being observed carefully.

Mr. Leo Kusters is also a board member of the Dutch Integrated Testsite Cooperative Mobility (DITCM), member of EARPA Executive Board, board member of AutomotiveNL and chairman of the board of the public private partnership TNO/TASS/TTAI. He will present on the topic of some of the ambitions that TNO is striving for at Connected Cars June 25 - 26, 2013 in Amsterdam.

Visit http://www.tno.nl, click on "themes," and click on "transport and mobility to find additional thought-provoking information. Check DIDX, M2M Techzone (winner of LTE Vision Award), Berg Zone, and bNet TV who are media partners for more on Connected Cars 2013.

Connected Cars Give us Value Items: Stories and Time

2013-05-29T13:36:30Z

Time is a precious gift, and the connected car can give that gift back to us. We spend hours of our lives waiting in queues at the grocery, in traffic jams, on long trips, at the doctor's office and waiting for the big game to begin. A story, a documentary, a technology phenomenom, sound business advice or comedy can fill our ears and hearts while even our eyes are busy. Audible Inc.'s CTO and Chief Scientist Gary Story says the most popular use case for audiobooks is listening in the car. Mr. Story will be a Connected Car Ecosystem panelist at Connected Cars 2013 in Amsterdam, June 25 - 26. The conference brings together the Connected Car Ecosystem which includes Automotive OEMs, mobile network operators, infotainment providers, software providers, telematics service providers, government and NGO agencies, and expert consultants. Once upon a time, M2M (machine to machine) seemed to be a Star Trek concept of the future, but we are in that future now.

Listen to an audio podcast interview with Audible Inc.'s CTO Guy Story on DIDX podcasts. The text transcript is on Techistan online magazine. I will link to it from here.

This cool guy named Guy (whom I kept calling Gary, yikes!) tells a story about stories at April 2013 TEDxNJIT. Meet him and other fun, inspiring connected car, M2M, and telematics experts at Connected Cars 2013, June 25 - 26 in Amsterdam.

From Powerpuff Mechanics to a Connected Cars Future

2013-05-06T14:38:12Z

Thanks to Connected Cars 2013, we share the first of a series of audio podcast interviews with connected vehicle experts. Andrea Sroczynski, Telenor Connexion's Head of Region Germany / Head of Global Automotive Sales discusses her IT, telematics, and automobile dealership background, positive outlook as a women involved in M2M, and her company's role in the Connected Cars industry and the possibilities of M2M (machine to machine) with connected vehicles. The Connected Cars13 conference, which is co-located with LTE World Summit June 25 - 26, 2013 in Amsterdam, includes speakers from automotive OEMs such as Lamborghini's Mirdo Buzzoni and from the Connected Car ecosystem such as Telenor Connexion's Ms. Sroczynski and Audible's Guy Story.

As an aside I asked for Andrea's insight on being one of the few women involved in top level connected automobile career position in a positive way and says, "It is not normal that I am a lady in this industry. It is unfortunate which is pro and con, I must say. The pros most definitely are bigger. If you are not one of the mass, you really can stick out. If you prove that you are really good and have success with good results in your career."

I recalled in our talk about when I conducted a Powerpuff Mechanics class at a Florida middle school one summer in the mid 90s. Our goals then were to know how to change the oil and air filter, adjust all fluids as needed and know the parts under the hood of a manual Toyota Camry. Ms. Sroczynski replies in the interview with how much different that class would be today and in the future because of M2M Connected Cars advances.

She says that Telenor is one of the pioneers in M2M as of around 2003 when it began connecting Volvo cars. Telenor Group, as a result, founded Telenor Connexion. View the Telenor Connexion timeline website.

On May 2, 2013, Japanese operator KDDI partnered with Telenor Connexion which is perfect to strengthen its global M2M offering. Other partners include Ericsson, Sierra Wireless, Logica, and SIM Services. Some of their customers are Hitachi Construction Machinery, Volvo cars, Nissanand TomTom.

Listen to the Connected Cars audio podcast on the DIDX audio podcast channel between me Suzanne Bowen and Andrea Sroczynski to find out more on how Telenor Connexion supports car manufacturers with connectivity solutions. Telenor Connexion is on the web at http://www.telenorconnexion.com with links to news, their blog, list of customers and partners, as well as opportunities to work with them. Andrea is scheduled as one of the Connected Cars13 speakers. Also check back on TMCnet Monetizing IP Communications news updates soon for summaries of and links to more audio podcast with Connected Car experts from Machina Research, the BBC, Audible, Turk Cell, SBD, Roximity, Toogethr, TNO and Linux Foundation.

Dotcom-Monitor VP Brad Canham on Website Monitoring Technology and Education

2013-03-01T17:03:35Z

Web application monitoring, website monitoring for website and Internet performance improvement are important for customer retention, sales, trust, and respect. Visit a website that is down, that is slow, or that is not working like it should and you go to the competitor whose website is up and working great. Dotcom-Monitor's VP Brad Canhan answered questions posed by DIDXchange telecommunications and mobile service provider members, in general about Internet performance, but in specific about proactive Internet performance improvement and also what can go wrong such as hiring new, inexperienced services. We discussed what customers feel and see while participating in business on the internet as well as the technical stuff in the background such as routing and access problems and remote traceroute.

(Click to listen at your leisure to the audio podcast interview with Brad Canham on web application monitoring and Internet performance.)

For example, heard of response time? How many seconds are customers patient enough to wait for their login to one's website to complete? Customers begin to get irritated and leave when they have to wait more than six seconds for a website to load or for their login to complete. I tested www.didx.net (who co-sponsored the audio podcast) wait time which was 1.94 seconds ... www.dotcom-monitor.com was 1.81 ... and this blog took 1.18 seconds to load. Strange things can slow a website such as third party widgets. Examples are text to speech tools, "social media recommend aggregator tools," and font kits. Everyone is trying to create happy, memorable and repeat user experiences, but do we do this via third party or one's own in-house developed widgets. Second, having a web application monitoring service can do the police work.

Poor monitoring might include only watching and examining cached HTML and DNS processes. Doing the second causes real DNS issues to go unnoticed and unfixed. Look at the AT&T in January 2013 and GoDaddy outage in September 2012.

"Good monitoring is more than setting simple ping tests from three monitoring sites," says Brad. "... we take screenshots and when we do web application monitoring, we actually take a video (first company to do this) of our browsing going through a shopping cart and send that to you immediately. You can use a remote traceroute, the video or the screen snap shot that will say you are having a 404 error or a 501 error to quickly pinpoint where the issue is and what it looks like ... diagnostics are part of process of getting a website or web application back up and running ... a "waterfall chart" ... synched with a video ... a mixture and data and the video aspect."

Dotcom-Monitor's motto is a drive to constantly improve Internet performance of its clients. The bar is high. They enjoy not only providing their Internet performance monitoring but also helping to educate people and businesses what is involved. Some of the latter that Mr. Canham recommends:

1. Dotcom-Monitor free tools: http://www.dotcom-monitor.com/WebTools/trace.asp

2. TRAC Research has a new report out today March 1, 2013, titled "2013 Application Performance Management Spectrum Report." Many may have heard of the expert behind this named Bojan Simic, President and Principal Analyst at TRAC Research.

3. Dotcom-Monitors demos and tutorials at http://www.dotcom-monitor.com/tutorials.asp

Readers of the "Monitizing IP Communications" blog are welcome to recommend to me services, applications, products, inventions, businesses and people that are notable. Put me in touch via my Linkedin profile (Suzanne Bowen, Co-founder of Elegant Group Inc and Super Technologies, Inc.)!

Sprint Velocity's Tim Johnson on Connected Vehicle and Mobile Opportunities

2012-11-09T12:32:33Z

M2M and connected vehicle technology are significant topics because of the positive potential for increasing revenue and exciting diversification of services but also of retaining customers and making their lives more productive and convenient in one of their favorite places ... their cars. I jumped at the opportunity to interview Tim Johnson, Sprint Velocity's Global Business Development Manager, who is also a Connected Cars Conference presenter on November 13, 2012 in Dallas, Texas. Stream it by clicking here and clicking at the end of the description where it says "Download" at the end, or download it here to practically any mp3 player and listen offline even. (Want to participate in the Connected Cars Conference? Sign up at www.ConnectedCarsEvent.com.)

Tim has been the Sprint Business Development lead in the Connected Vehicle space since 2007 when Sprint entered a collaboration with Ford around "Ford Work Solutions." He did not shy away from the rather pointed questions I, Suzanne Bowen, shared with him from my Twitter, Google + and Linkedin online networks of friends:

1. What is Sprint Velocity Connected Vehicle and connected cars in general?

The crucial task is "to understand and discuss value propositions of what Sprint can do to help enhance OEM's connected vehicles' strategy. An example ... the Sprint Velocity initially began because of a program commercialized with Chrysler Corporation under their uConnect Access. Remember that "velocity" is defined as the convergence of speed and direction. Here is an opportunity to "accelerate connections of customers with their vehicle and with the OEM of the vehicle, dealer networks and all those people associated with the ownership experience ... Sprint is incredibly open to new ideas and partnerships whether with large or small entities ..."

2. How can the automobile industry stay compatible with innovation and distribution cycles of mobile Internet and software?

"A commercialization cycle is a little like a hamster wheel. The development for an OEM and a vehicle is more like a ferris wheel ... why we very strategically said, 'We can bring some great melding to those gears in this stage because certainly understand consumer electronics and device launches with Ford and others ... Traditionally auto development cycles have been very linear in terms of OEM, to tier 1 to tier two to tier three, etc. It has to be much more of a collaborative loop ... The short answer ... there's no going back whether it is Asia or Europe ... the entire industry now understands going forward, collaboration between the use cases of the consumer's device, what they aready have, married to the technology that the auto OEMs and their hardware providers must start on the same level and grow up together ... this is why Sprint Velocity exists."

3. How do you respond to potential users who question how connected car technologies, especially automatic / automated ones, makes them feel as if their driver autonomy is being taken away?

Though the most important use case for "connected vehicles" is safety, people have an emotional connection to their car. Think about your own car and even of the songs dedicated to them such as "409," "Maybelline," and "Mustang Sally." Mr. Johnson says, "If your car becomes a moving living room, a lot is lost there. The technology surrounding the autonomy aspect are first and foremost about safety such as lane deviation detection and rear parking monitor camera ..."

"Auto makers want to continue to differentiate on the driving experience which entails acceleration and braking, as well as now, climate control and info-tainment ..."

4. How can the mobile device and automobile digital dashboard capitalize on each other's advantages for the benefit of the user / consumer? Obviously, people are not going to carry around their automobile's digital dashboard everywhere, for example.

"It goes back to the head units where the radio is ... and the display ... what does it look like from a device interaction perspective because at the end of the day, back to my safety comment ... almost anything can be done at this point, short of de-materialization like Star Trek, but that may not be too far away ... from a distraction standpoint ... eyes, hands, wheel ... safety is best use case of all."

5. Would you give us an example of how Sprint Velocity works with Clients or Partners such as the Strategic Wireless Partnership between Chrysler and Sprint Connected Vehicle platform? How does the Uconnect Access fit in?

It's a partnership and Chrylser is Sprint Velocity's valued customer. Chrysler was going through general corporate reorganization with huge changes in ownership. As far as connected vehicle, Chrysler didn't have legacy in place for this such as GMC with OnStar and Ford with Sync. (Awesome for Sprint Velocity and Chrysler to start with a white piece of paper to do something big, never done before, with none of the "set in stone" procedures and dead-ends to get in the way!) Instead of thinking in a linear fashion, the partners were able to take from a sumptuous and abundant Thanksgiving table situation with all the right partners around the table. Tim Johnson says that Uconnect Access is just the beginning.

Listen to a recording of our conversation for more exciting details and about the different types of organizations that can gain the most from working with Sprint Velocity. Click a Sprint Velocity summary in PDF to see a full building block perspective

Find out more and get started by visiting http://www.sprint.com/m2m and http://www.ConnectedCarsEvent.com. Sprint is the host sponsor and network reception drink sponsor of Connected Cars as well as the provider of Tim Johnson as a panelist on the session, How Will Industry Players Work Together to Deliver Truly Excellent Customer Experience in the Automotives of Now and the Future." Get in touch Tim Johnson, Sprint Velocity's Global Business Development Manager, at 616-292-6238 or timothy.johnson@sprint.com. I can relate to the final line in his email signature: "Make No Small Plans" - Daniel Burnham.

Let's meet Sprint Velocity group and other M2M / connected vehicles-related innovators at Connected Cars next week and perhaps at an ITEXPO / Mobility Tech Zone conference in the future.

Mercedes-Benz Technologies and Driver Safety versus Autonomy

2012-09-12T20:49:25Z

Working for a Canadian company AstraQom on a one year contract in their marketing program has been a cultural and technological joy for this Floridian. I visited Ottawa twice, once with a side trip to Gatineau Bier Fest and the Ottawa Running Races in May, since mid-July 2011. I also visited with city officials and business owners about their communications needs and ways for AstraQom to make a good difference in the community. I also wrote a blog post comparing the way people sell voIP and the way they sell cars which led me to start a series of audio podcasts with Mr. Jeff Mierins, owner of Star Motors, Dow Honda and other dealerships in Ottawa. (Browse their awesome Mercedes-Benz inventory.)

The first recorded conversation was about Jeff's grandparents' challenging pilgrimage in WWII era from Latvia and eventually to Canada and a brief history of Dow Honda. We finished up with a run-down of Honda's back-up camera and back-up assist features as well as summary of the most popular or the newest Hondas. The second podcast with Mr. Mierins is about the Mercedes-Benz and a discussion of its newest technological features that make it sound more like a classy robot than an inanimate collection of high quality aluminum, paint and such.

Feel free to stream the Mercedes-Benz technology podcast or download it to your favorite device and listen offline even. It's available on iTunes, DIDX podcasts and AstraQom podcasts. A list of major points discussed:

1. Quick history of Mercedes Benz such as Karl Benz's Schwäbian descent and a common moniker of that area: "Too poor to be cheap"
2. The pre-safe feature, new B class models and where they will be available (yes in Europe and Canada, but not USA), the new smaller A class that is a little larger than a smart car.
3. The new radar-based collision prevention assist system which will be available eventually on all Mercedes-Benz products ... Jeff describes being a passenger, in an SL convertible, down a slalom course in which the driver slammed the brakes hard as possible, with a couple of the wheels coming up off the ground ... (hold your breath!)
4. Do the new technologies take the autonomous driving experience away from the driver?
5. Blind spot assist feature during lane changes to reduce fender benders.

6. Cross-border shpping differences, issues, and price points between Canada and USA.
7. Comparison of the Starbucks and Mercedes-Benz brands as TMC's Mr. Tehrani once spoke of in a blog post ... and from there to Canada's "equivalent to Starbucks" ... the Second Cup.
Finally ... a bit about Star Motors. It is Ottawa's oldest import dealer, and it houses dozens of new and pre-owned Mercedes-Benzes. In fact, one could walk out with a new 2013 C 300 4Matic which has a V6 engine and the ECO start/stop technology at just $388 per month lease payment. Imagine my excitement when told by Star Motors' management that I could participate in the AMG Performance Tour in Las Vegas during the second week of November. If I go, I will definitely report on it, with emphasis on the classically geeky features of every model! ITEXPO West 2012 has a Machine 2 Machine Evolution Conference and & Expo component scheduled October 2 -5 in Austin Texas. Strategies, case studies and benefits of M2M with automobiles will be discussed by experts. Other topics of M2M will include transportation in general, security, health, cold chain, safety, and even proactive response centers to buy time and avoid risk. (Follow Carl Ford who is a major leader in the M2M and Mobility Tech Zone components of ITEXPO. He is on Twitter.)