Enhance your driving experience with Telematics

Photo courtesy of Graur Razvan Ionut

The Newland Group headquarters in Mississauga has been quite occupied these
last couple of months launching a refreshed website for one of our AAA clients. Quite a bit has happened since my last post. In particular, Newland President - David Kingsland, attended the annual AAA/CAA Eastern Conference. After discussing the highlights (and there were many!) one thing intrigued me in particular - Telematics.

I needed to know more, so I did some digging. Telematics is the combined use of Telecommunication and Informatics. The most common example of Telematics is GM's OnStar system used to offer drivers many useful services and communication while on the road. AAA/CAA has expressed an interest in adding this technology to their service line. The possibilities are endless. Just imagine, you're on your way to catch an international flight and you stop at the bank to exchange some money for your trip. You slam your car door shut only to realize the instant that it has closed, your keys are still in the ignition. Imagine a technology smart enough that with a call to your local AAA/CAA club could unlock your doors instantly without having to wait for Roadside Assistance. This is a true story. I did end up making my flight but, at the cost of my sanity. I only wish Telematics had been around then.

GPS tracking and access to so much personal information does bring to light a concern with privacy. Should your safety come at the cost of compromising your personal details? Absolutely not and Erik Goldman, President of Hughes Telematics agrees. "We are hyper-sensitive to the privacy issue. The car owner owns the information gathered by the system, and the owner controls access to that info." - How the Hughes Telematics Device Works. Granting the user ultimate control over personal information through the use of firewalls and encryption keeps the customer at ease.

If you wish to know more about this innovation, check out this site Telematics Update