AT&T yesterday announced the AT&T Drive, a new modular connected car platform, and the AT&T Drive Studio, an Atlanta-based connected car center, to go along with it.
AT&T Drive is a telematics platform for automakers that will enable functionality like connectivity, analytics and infotainment. The company outlined possible Drive services like global SIM and global provisioning, global billing solutions, voice enablement, secure firmware updates and application store capabilities.
AT&T is working with Ericsson on the global application delivery framework, VoiceBox on the voice recognition, Synchronoss on a cloud platform, Accenture on data and analytics and Amdocs on a billing solution.
With new connected car partners, AT&T is also getting a new connected car HQ with the Drive Studio. Located near the company’s Foundry innovation center, the Drive Studio will serve as a working lab for AT&T Drive solutions as well as a showroom for works in progress.
All these nifty solutions will need a network and AT&T has announced a partnership with Audi to deliver in-vehicle LTE to Audi’s 2015 A3 sedans.
Audi plans on being the first automaker to offer a mobile share plan. AT&T customers will have the opportunity to buy a data package for their car.
In addition, AT&T signed a multi-year agreement with Tesla to provide connectivity for the automaker’s remote engine diagnostics, telematics, and infotainment features such as Internet radio, Web browsing, live traffic, weather and navigation, all on Tesla’s in-car 17-inch touchscreen.
