SEAT, Accenture highlight connected car's place in broader IoT market

BARCELONA, Spain -- SEAT said a proof-of-concept demonstration it is running in conjunction with Accenture shows how future connected cars could tie into the broader Internet of Things (IoT) and smart home markets at the Mobile World Congress, here.

The Spain-headquartered car maker -- a division of German company VW -- said it is using Accenture's Connected Platforms-as-a-Service IoT architecture to demonstrate a connected car smartphone app, car-to-home connectivity, and a driver behaviour monitoring system.

In a statement, SEAT said the car status app would replicate traditional dashboard elements including fuel and oil level monitoring on a smartphone. The app could also be used to offer drivers dealer notifications, including details on when new parts have arrived in stock, and information on new deals and offers.

Pablo Barrios, global head of digital marketing and CRM at SEAT, said the app is the company's "next step to position ourselves in the connected vehicle ecosystem." The app will enable SEAT to deliver a "permanent, customised and relevant dialog with customers while bringing many benefits for both SEAT and the customers themselves," he added.

SEAT and Accenture's car-to-home service would enable drivers to remotely connect with, and control, appliances in their home. The auto company explained that this would enable features such as matching the home's temperature to that of the car, with geo-location information used to ensure the house does not heat up prematurely.

The driver behaviour monitoring system would offer advice on how to improve your driving based on analysis of historical driving patterns and fresh data gathered on the current journey. Such information could be used to reduce fuel consumption or prevent vehicle failures, SEAT explained.

For Accenture, the collaboration with SEAT is "vital to identifying where value might be generated for a business," in terms of future IoT development, said Joan Cavallé, managing director in Accenture's automotive practice.

The collaboration with SEAT has enabled Accenture "to quickly develop an industry-specific solution that proves the potential of the IoT in the connected vehicle ecosystem," Cavallé added, noting that the ability to interact with the connected home shows how "the 'connected world' will really look like [sic] in a few years time."

SEAT earlier announced it had forged a technological alliance with SAP covering future connected car projects, and is also using MWC16 to showcase services developed with Samsung as part of a tie-up forged in 2015.

For more:
- see SEAT's proof-of-concept announcement
- view this related SAP and Samsung release

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