Dec 05, 2013 12:20 PM EST
Audi now offers its customers Internet connection from their car. T-Mobile and Audi announced its new in-car data plan, offering wireless connectivity for $15 per month. For investors, growth is to add new features that are connecting cars, medical devices and industrial machines to 4G data networks. Audi plans to spend 13 billion euros ($17 billion) through 2016 to develop new cars and expand production capacity.
Audi
The automotive manufacturer recently announced its extension of its 4G data connection to the Audi A3 range. This will enable Android users seamless web surfing and functionalities integrated for the debut of its new Audi S3 Sportback Full. The A3 integration is from the November WLAN hotspot. The 4G data connection will enable independent connections capable of video conferencing and high-speed streaming.
Audi connect in-car internet access will be the first manufacturer to integrate the superfast 4G/Long Term Evolution data transfer standard into a production car. The new fourth generation or '4G' technology has just become available in the Audi S3 Sportback, and will reach all other variants in the premium compact range in November. The integration of 4G/LTE marks a very important step in the evolution of the Audi connect system, which networks the car with the driver and the Internet, and in the future could also provide an interface with the infrastructure and with other vehicles. 4G/LTE considerably broadens the scope of what is possible with in-car 'infotainment'.
Audi Connect are a Wi-Fi network inside the car that can be accessed by up to eight devices at the same time. With the new data plan, Audi owners can obtain real-time news, weather and fuel prices, access to Google Earth™ and Google Voice™ Local Search and retrieve information and securely over Wi-Fi through the award-winning Audi connect® infotainment and navigation system. Audi aggressively aims to build 1 million connected vehicles by 2015.
Nissan USA offers Bluetooth cell phone connectivity. Nissan will compete in mobility through advancing innovation. Nissan had a 1.0 percent rise in sales to 137,726 vehicles. Nissan saw its highest volume ever, delivering 126,623 vehicles, up 0.4 percent from the prior year. Infiniti deliveries went up 9.0 percent to 11,103 units in the month.
Competition in new product offerings will leverage Nissan’s product plan to deliver one new vehicle every six weeks, on average, during the next six years. The company is also focused on key growth markets, such as China, Brazil, Russia, India and Indonesia, to allow personal mobility to become more accessible to those consumers who need it.
General Motors Company will begin to include 4G wireless broadband connectivity, the same used for smartphone devices, in its 2015 models sold in the U.S. and Canada. GM’s OnStar Retail Mirror for Competitor Cars and Future 4G Features is a proprietary on-board connected communications system that operates via wireless cellular technology. OnStar for GM has over 6 million US subscribers. The company had a 6.4% rise in sales to 245,950 vehicles in March, driven by strong sales of its Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with an 8.4% increase.
Who will get left behind? It’s all about the customer and how to use these features to customize the consumer value proposition. Auto sales in the U.S. rose by 3.4 percent year-over-year to 1.45 million vehicles in March, the best monthly sales in almost six years. Better construction market, cheap financing, strong pent-up demand and improving consumer confidence continue to fuel sales growth. The automotive industry is a critical component of the U.S. economy. IDC predicts that by 2015 the “Big Data” market will be $16.9 billion, up from $3.2 billion in 2013.
Audi is ahead of the curve competing aggressively with Android and mobility initiatives. BYOD is an enabler to achieve tangible business benefits.Audi recognizes the value of mobility as an enabler of business transformation to drive greater efficiency, agility and customer engagement within their organizations. The company will invest more than ever in its business over the next five years, increasing spending to support growth. More than €10.5 billion will be used to develop new models and technologies. Audi is poised for continued ambitious growth expectations.