In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the automotive industry is at the forefront of significant transformation. The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) has introduced the era of connected vehicles, enhancing the driving experience and elevating customer satisfaction to unprecedented levels. According to a report by McKinsey & Company, digitalization, automation, and electrification could lead to a 5% increase in the revenue pools of the automotive industry by 2030. According to another report by PwC, connected car services will generate $155 billion in annual revenue by 2022. These services range from safety features and navigation to infotainment and lifestyle services, all of which contribute to a superior customer experience.
Recognizing this trend, Scalefocus, a leading technology company, has partnered with a global leader in IoT-connected solutions to develop an innovative in-vehicle connectivity and data management user portal.
The Business Case
The client, an industry leader in connected software solutions, operates in the IoT market, focusing on Agriculture, Automotive, and Transportation. With a global portfolio of mobile network partners and a team of over 250 professionals in 15 countries, the company is committed to securely connecting devices end-to-end for their entire life cycle.
Dimo Kapnilov, Portfolio Manager at Scalefocus, sheds light on the complexity of the project, “The platform is multi-sided by having B2B and B2C side, connecting car manufacturers and telecoms to deliver the best possible customer experience. Through one contract, one integration, and one platform, drivers can seamlessly connect their phones to their vehicles. The platform automatically discovers the network operator, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity no matter where the driver travels. This end-to-end solution provides a comprehensive suite of benefits including global and local network access, in-car streaming and connected infotainment services, and a centralized platform for managing globally connected software and accessing real-time insights. All of this contributes to an enhanced customer experience, providing seamless connectivity on a global scale.”
Safety and Control: Key Features of the User Experience
This successful collaboration has yielded significant results, enhancing the in-car internet connectivity experience and offering robust and high-speed connectivity wherever users happen to be. The platform provides end-to-end security, safeguarding user data and ensuring the integrity of the system. It also manages the lifecycle of devices, from their initial connection to the network to their eventual retirement, ensuring that devices remain up-to-date and secure throughout their lifespan.
To guarantee the safety and appropriateness of the content, an Adult Content Filtering Flag has been implemented. This feature allows for the restriction of adult content, providing a safer browsing environment. The platform also allows for remote device connectivity management, meaning that users can manage their devices and their connections remotely, providing greater flexibility and control.
One of the standout features of the platform is the provision of B2C data plan usage information directly in the in-car Human-Machine Interface (HMI). This allows users to easily monitor and manage their data usage while on the go. To assist users further, an FAQ section has been added to the platform. This section provides information on the pricing of data top-ups, helping users to manage their costs effectively.
These outcomes highlight the success of the collaboration and the benefits it has brought to users. The platform not only enhances the in-car internet connectivity experience but also offers robust and high-speed connectivity wherever users happen to be. This project underscores the importance of customer experience in the automotive industry, showing how technology can be leveraged to meet and exceed customer expectations.
Crafting the User Portal
Faced with the challenge of designing a user portal from scratch, Scalefocus rose to the occasion, integrating multiple platforms seamlessly. The team was responsible for the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), from development, testing, and deployment in the actual environments to managing the Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
The team implemented UI/UX best practices and created a simple, user-centric interface that allowed smooth and uninterrupted navigation. The portal enables drivers to add or remove vehicles from their account, suspend the service temporarily, and top up at any time, wherever the road takes them.
The portal’s infrastructure is based on Azure Service Fabric, which supports multiple messaging protocols and offers many features to tune the application. Other technologies used include NServiceBus for messaging, SignalR for real-time messaging/notifications, Angular 14 for the Front-end part of the portal, .Net Core 3.1 for the Back-end of the portal, and CosmosDB for manipulating data.
The Role of Consultancy and Expectation Management
Throughout the project, Scalefocus provided expert consultancy and expectation management to ensure the successful execution of the project. The team worked closely with the client, understanding their needs and expectations, and providing regular updates and feedback throughout the development process.
Kapnilov elaborates on the consultancy role of the Scalefocus team, “Together with helping with excellent engineering expertise, our team was also involved in consulting the platform provider about the vision of the product, the needs of the customer, and the future development of the platform. We emphasized the importance of simultaneously developing the backend and front-end to make sure we achieve an easy-to-use B2B platform with impeccable UX of the B2C platform.”
He further highlights the challenges in the process, “To complete the project successfully, we needed to engage a Delivery manager together with our technical teams to make sure we deliver a high-quality end product and achieve our goals. Customer relationship management was a key factor in the success of the project and we delivered on that side.
Conclusion
This successful collaboration between Scalefocus and the IoT leader has resulted in a solution that not only enhances the in-car internet connectivity experience but also offers robust and high-speed connectivity wherever users happen to be. This project underscores the importance of customer experience in the automotive industry, showing how technology can be leveraged to meet and exceed customer expectations.
