AT&T and CarForce Team Up on AI, IoT Service for Car Dealerships Globally
BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* and CarForce are collaborating on a global solution that helps car dealerships, fleet managers, and repair shops better manage car maintenance and predict car issues before they happen. CarForce is choosing Denmark to launch an Internet of Things (IoT) solution in the first quarter of 2018.
CarForce provides a software solution that uses in-car diagnostics to provide dealerships and large fleet managers with a near-real time dashboard on the health of their customers' vehicles. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are used to provide preventative and predictive vehicle maintenance.
CarForce will launch its solution in Denmark through FTZ, a HELLA company, that has a distribution network of roughly 1,500 vehicle service shops. CarForce's connected garage experience will first be available to about 80% of the Danish independent dealer and garage market, which includes up to 2.4 million cars. CarForce plans to launch in the U.S., France, and Germany later this year.
"Software should be borderless. Using AT&T's global connectivity and IoT platforms allows us to quickly build and scale CarForce into dealerships worldwide," said Jessika Lora, founder and CEO of CarForce. "Plus, my team can focus on the software solution, not on logistics."
With CarForce, dealerships can provide an automated car maintenance service to customers that helps reduce vehicle downtime and increase efficiencies in parts supply and repair networks. In addition, CarForce can send customers automated alerts for regular maintenance like changing oil, notify them when a repair is needed, or even predict a tire blowout.
"Working with CarForce, we're helping to improve the car ownership experience," said Joe Mosele, VP of IoT Solutions at AT&T. "Car owners no longer have to guess what's wrong with their cars. It is vehicle ownership for the modern customer."
The AT&T Global SIM is plugged into the car's diagnostic port and provides global connectivity to LTE and LTE-M networks. The AT&T IoT Platform collects the data and translates it for the CarForce software in the cloud. AT&T brings everything together edge-to-edge - from end points to connectivity to the cloud - wrapped in security.
The AT&T LTE-M network is available in North America and Mexico and will enable longer battery life, improved coverage, and lower costs when compared to traditional IoT cellular connectivity.
The IoT Platform used by CarForce will include AT&T DataFlow, an upcoming combination of our former AT&T M2X and AT&T Flow Designer products. AT&T Data Flow will provide cloud-based development tools and resources that help businesses manage the flow of sensor data between IoT devices and business applications. AT&T DataFlow will make it easier for businesses to quickly build and launch IoT solutions and scale them for growth demands. AT&T DataFlow is available for preview by interested customers and is expected to be commercially available in the second quarter of 2018.
In a recent IDC MarketScape report((1)), AT&T was named as a leader among global IoT platform providers. "Customers cited a superior management portal, reliability of connectivity service, and an executive/partner team that is committed to their success as the top reasons why they chose to work with AT&T," the report said.
To learn more about IoT's potential to transform business, go to att.com/iot. And check out this blog to learn more about AT&T DataFlow. You can also visit AT&T's booth at Mobile World Congress (#4D30) to learn more about this solution.
For more information on CarForce, go to www.thecarforce.com.
(1) Source: IDC MarketScape: Worldwide IoT Platforms (Device and Network Connectivity Providers) 2018 Vendor Assessment, doc # US43434417, January 2018
About CarForce
CarForce is using applied machine learning techniques to build a digital command center to future-proof the modern vehicle dealer and large fleet and mobility providers. CarForce's deep diagnostic data is analyzed for pattern recognition that can be used for predictive maintenance insights and is poised to emulate and automate the mechanical know-how, or human "instinct" that lives and dies with today's aging mechanics. Today, CarForce's cloud-based SaaS platform delivers real time updates on the health of customer vehicles to provide vehicle owners with a white glove customer service experience that includes one-click scheduling, over the air diagnostics, and remote concierge support.
*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet services. We have the nation's largest and most reliable network** and the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. We're one of the world's largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. More than 3 million companies, from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions.
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