Japanese mobile operator KDDI has partnered with Orange Business Services to provide customized IoT services for Toyota and Mazda. The Orange solution will allow the Japanese automotive manufacturers to offer connected services across 63 European countries/territories.
“Connected IoT services are paramount to enhance the drive experience for our customers,” Ken Sakai, managing director of KDDI Europe, Ltd. said in a press release. “The bespoke Orange IoT platform provides new levels of convenience in terms of personalized services to Toyota and Mazda across Europe. This allows their drivers to benefit from the very best in safety, security and in-car experience,” Ken Sakai, Managing Director of KDDI Europe, Ltd.
As part of the collaboration, Orange Business Services is providing a connectivity management solution that integrates directly into KDDI’s own platform. The result, according to the companies, will be a secure, reliable IoT connectivity that “enhances the driver experience through advanced services.”
“Cloud connections are made using Orange backbone networks, offering high-performance and secured interconnections between the parties’ platforms,” the statement continued.
In 2017, KDDI acquired Soracom, whose internet of things platform combines over-the-air connectivity with cloud capability to deliver secure communication optimized for IoT and M2M. Even prior to the purchase, though, KDDI had already been providing IoT/M2M services for over 15 years. Together, KDDI and Soracom worked to promote the expansion of the joint IoT platform worldwide.
On the car manufacturing side, Toyota established a stake in Japanese data analytics firm ALBERT in 2018, which to brought new artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies in-house in an effort to further develop its own autonomous driving capabilities.
“Today’s most innovative car manufacturers are leveraging IoT to deliver on the drive experience consumers are demanding. Following extensive consultancy and a pilot with KDDI, we have delivered on a tailor-made IoT platform that will enable innovative connected services to provide drivers with enhanced levels of safety and convenience,” commented Valerie Cussac, senior vice president of Smart Mobility Services at Orange Business Services.
