The connected vehicle has been, arguably, the most frequently commented on and most promising case study of device connectivity for years. The car is becoming a software-first product, with customers looking for greater connectivity, ease of use and a wider variety of services available to the driver and customer than ever before.
On this week’s episode of The Five Nine Podcast, we speak to Duncan Licence, chief product officer at Parkopedia, a UK-based company that has its roots in helping drivers find parking and operators advertise their positions. But Parkopedia has moved far beyond that. Their ambition, it would seem, is to create a unified platform for in-vehicle services, which combines payment, e-charging, parking, entertainment, e-shopping and much more. Having already established relationships with the largest automotive OEMs, they seem to be in a strong position to make this vision a reality, with projects already deployed or in development.
Like with most modern applications of intelligence at the edge, the real key to success is in data. Cars generate incredibly valuable information, and harnessing this information will help OEMs and associated services a much more customized solution. By understanding driver behavior, services such as wayfinding, charging facility location and e-commerce can become proactive, rather than proactive.
In this in-depth interview, Duncan outlines Parkopedia’s vision for the connected vehicle and some of the upcoming technologies he sees as key to the further development of the smart car.