Glenn Lurie, president of emerging enterprises and partnerships at AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), says the connected car is "without question one of the largest growth opportunities in the wireless space."
So it's no wonder the operator has aggressively pursued deals and partnerships in this arena. From February's announcement that it would replace Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) as the communications service provider for General Motors' OnStar service to this week's news that AT&T has signed an agreement with SiriusXM to provide mobile connectivity supporting security and services for Nissan vehicles in North America, AT&T is angling to secure a beachhead in the growing connected car segment.
Prior to the SiriusXM announcement, I interviewed Lurie about the connected car industry. One of the most salient points he made is that the car will soon become "just another device in your life." Might vehicles be added to mobile operators' shared-data plans? Lurie didn't have anything to announce on that front, but he acknowledged that the concept certainly makes sense. After all, shared-data plans are supposed to encompass all of your wireless communications devices.
For more on Lurie's observations about the emerging connected car industry, check out this FierceBroadbandWireless On the Hot Seat feature.--Tammy