The onboard communication devices are currently undergoing rapid migration to external applications residing in the cloud while leaving behind traditional business models (based on in-house applications). These new services promise a cost effective and far simpler deployment with almost instant availability and a real possibility of monetary benefits.
The higher connection speeds provided by LTE and LTE advanced, combined with cloud services becoming more economically viable plus more sophisticated encryption for communications (vital to prevent hacking) have overcome the original disadvantages of cloud models.
The unquestionable advantages and improvements grow apace: the speed and simplicity to install any kind of hard or software in vehicles (without the need for individual and physical presence); scalability to remotely provide upgrades; security and reliability with automatic backup protecting data; and full, uninterrupted interaction between vehicles and the central node through 3G/LTE technology.
Moving on from this, we have analyzed some of the most relevant tools and applications already available in the cloud and, consequently, to the mobility sector:
1) Captive portal solutions. Captive portals offer two fundamental features.
- Authentication, which helps collect, identify and recognize the passengers that enter the system.
- And the Big Data associated to data exploitation, which sets a new paradigm in personalized marketing (i.e. monetizable and targeted marketing).
Combining these two elements allows for publicity tools to be used to increase profitability and, through the classification of passenger profiles, boost social media.
All this can only be achieved through a communications platform that is fully compatible with captive portal solutions.
2) Content filtering, to control user access to visible contents.
This includes the creation of blacklists (configurable by group or nature), geolocation access options (via web), temporary access policies, blocking of traffic from certain applications (streaming, social networks, messaging services, etc.), and extra configuration options for one click access, complemented with periodic reports on network traffic.
3) Remote management & Monitoring. A management suite that remotely configures all devices should have two essential characteristics:
– Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZPT), the generation of automatic device-to-device configurations (without manual intervention). The savings in costs and time for the carrier (when deploying) is obvious and simplifies configuration tasks such as modifications or upgrades.
– Real-time device inventory, to view the state of each device in the network: a key element for rapid response capability for any eventuality.
– Additionally, having a tracking tool that provides real-time information on routes taken by vehicles and coverage values at strategic points may prove advantageous. The information collected should include data consumption or instant bandwidth, the generation of ad hoc alarms and key information to identify problem areas on a route (such as bottlenecks, zones lacking coverage from a specific carrier, a geographical incident blocking signals, etc.).
The combined use of this set of tools is already a reality and will, in the near future, become standard in transport and mobility sectors. Thanks to its firm commitment to R&D and to strategic alliances within the mobility industry, Teldat is at the very crest of cloud technology, the sector’s new paradigm.