Besides the traffic police, there might soon be a second eye to
remind you about poor driving style: how many times you oversped and for how
long. In case of accidents, quick help might be around. There will also be a
buzz when the car door is not properly shut or when the fuel level goes lower
than 10%.
Tracking solution provider MobiApps is moving towards OEM kind
of deals where it wants to standardize tracking products as standard equipment
in moving assets. The company says some of its newer institutional customers-car
companies in particular-are going to go into these newer solutions where
tracking devices will be installed in vehicles before it comes out of the
manufacturing plant.
e-Gov Pursuers |
MobiApps' business from |
Technically, MobiApps does Telematics-integrates automobile
and computing-by directly integrating with the trucks, buses and cars, it will
be able to remotely manage things such as fuel level, tyre pressure,
acceleration, weight and check if the doors are properly closed among others.
All these can be captured and sent to the back end for monitoring. Very few
customers are presently using these, but there are enough indications of greater
traction soon. The company, it is known, is talking to the Tatas, Mahindras and
Marutis in India, and internationally to Mercedes, Volvo, General Motors and
Ford.
The value proposition to customers though, is not in the device-it
is in the service. The service part has to be executed by a service partner. The
whole infrastructure for such a service is ready and a couple of service models
are now being brainstormed. Car manufacturing companies with good network around
the country is an option. The US, for example, has General Motors providing
on-start service that provides services like accident management. This model can
be replicated in India where car manufacturers will sign up its dealers and
service centers. The system will be connected online for dealers to get live
updates. MobiApps devises have several keys-one for SoS, the other for petrol,
another for medical emergency, for example. "So, if a car needs petrol or
medical emergency, someone from the service center can come and help quickly
without the driver having to describe the place he is in," country head
Amitabh Satyam says.
This kind of service can also be the domain of independent
service companies. Mobiapps' joint venture with the Tatas have resulted in
Tata Mobiapps Telematics (TMT). Mobiapps makes the devices, Tata sells and
services it. It can choose to create a service model where all car or truck
owners who have Mobiapps' tracking device will be given different set of
services, including accident management.
But for the OEM kind of deals to happen, device prices have to
come down from its present Rs 15,000 a piece, something that gives the company a
return in 4-5 months. In trying to create a mass-market product, the company is
now investing towards re-engineering the whole solution. Mobiapps wishes to cut
down price by 10-20% every year. While pursuing this effort, the $20 mn company
plans grow three to five times just this year.
Goutam Das in
Bangalore