Orange became the second operator in Europe to sign a direct connectivity supply deal with electric car maker Tesla, with an agreement covering wireless services in France.
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Orange's Grand Prix connected car concept |
Under terms of the deal the French operator's enterprise unit--Orange Business Services--will work with Tesla to offer drivers interactive navigation services, Internet radio and web access, along with remote diagnostics and over-the-air updates of machine-to-machine (M2M) software. Car to mobile network communication will be handled by an Orange SIM.
"Tesla is a world renowned brand, and we are thrilled to be their trusted partner as they enter the French market," said Pascal Ancian, VP of mobile for France and International at Orange Business Services.
Jérôme Guillen, Tesla's VP of worldwide sales and service, said Orange's network will help deliver "excellent customer experience" to the company's customers, something he said is "paramount" to Tesla's success.
The deal with Orange is Tesla's second direct operator collaboration in Europe. In April the car maker signed up Telefónica as its main connectivity provider in the market, with a deal covering the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Belgium.
Telefónica provides the connections via local subsidiaries in the UK, Germany, and Spain, while its M2M World Alliance partner KPN handles the Netherlands and Belgium.
Orange revealed its deal with Tesla during the Paris Motor Show alongside a raft of other 'connected car' developments.
The operator unveiled the Grand Prix concept car that features tablet PCs to handle navigation and entertainment, a Nokia Lumia 1320 mobile phone, Bluetooth hands-free operations, and a Bluetooth speaker. Orange is also demonstrating its MirrorLink technology that allows the infotainment unit in cars to mimic a user's smartphone home screen to make it easier to navigate through options.
Orange also used the motor show to demonstrate car-specific applications including the GPS-based Orange Maps, access to 22,000 radio stations, and a mobile games package for passengers.
For more:
- see Orange's Tesla announcement
- read Orange's other motor show news
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