Sprint Nextel announced it will be a strategic wireless partner for Chrysler Group's Uconnect voice-activated vehicle communications system. The Uconnect system lets users connect their cellular phone to the vehicle's audio system so they can use their phone by giving simple voice commands.
Although terms of the deal are vague, Sprint Nextel has been working hard to grow its emerging solutions business. The company recently inked a deal with Orange Business Solutions enabling it to offer its multinational customers global M2M data services in 180 countries.
Machina Research earlier this year ranked Sprint as one of the top 10 global mobile network operators based upon its expected revenue from mobile M2M in 2020.
Connecting automobiles via the wireless network is an area of growing interest for wireless carriers. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, this week, Michael O'Hara, chief marketing officer of the GSMA, said that the trade group estimates that 90 percent of cars will have mobile connectivity by 2020, up from 10 percent today.
In addition, Ford Motor Co., announced this week that it will make its Sync in-car communications system available to European customers, and it expects 3.5 million cars in Europe will have Sync by the end of 2015.
For more:
- see this press release
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