SAP showcases new technology for connected vehicles

SAP SE has demonstrated new technology to make life easier for drivers and rental car users through Internet of Things (IoT) collaboration with Concur Technologies, Hertz and Nokia.

A part of the SAP Leonardo portfolio, the SAP Vehicles Network solution creates an intelligent, automated experience — from car rental to parking and fueling location and payment, to integrated navigation and expense management for business travellers.

SAP also announced that Mojio, the connected vehicle platform and app provider for Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile USA, has joined SAP Vehicles Network and will provide parking and fueling through its app in the US and Europe.

The announcement was made at Mobile World Congress 2017, being held February 27–March 2 in Barcelona, Spain.

SAP Vehicles Network, built on SAP Cloud Platform, enables participating network companies to provide mobility services to drivers and passengers. By standardising the business processes, SAP Vehicles Network enables integration and collaboration to facilitate new revenue streams and business opportunities for network members. Through the network, member companies can offer secure, convenient services — independent of devices or vehicles — such as parking, fueling and location-based food services, tailored for the business traveler or the individual consumer.

The new collaboration showcased at Mobile World Congress draws on the strengths of each participating vendor: Concur, Hertz, SAP and other members of the Nokia-founded IoT Community, a worldwide ecosystem of companies collaborating on the development of innovative IoT solutions, drove the development of the connected rental car experience.

Nokia provided its Intelligent Management Platform for All Connected Things (Impact) to securely control and manage devices and sensors in the vehicle, including the personalization of driver settings and entertainment systems, as well as the automatic configuration of in-vehicle communications without Bluetooth paring, which ensures data privacy for drivers. The Nokia Impact IoT Platform works in conjunction with payment systems in SAP Vehicles Network for parking and fueling authorization to create a seamless and driver-optimised experience.

Hertz, one of the world’s leading rental car companies, is developing new products and services for its next 100 years of meeting customers’ needs. By exploring the use of connected-car technology in collaboration with leading technology and travel players such as SAP, Nokia and Concur, Hertz is evaluating the opportunity to integrate travel and itinerary planning, along with in-car personalization, through its customer apps as part of an elevated car-rental experience.

With the connected car prototype, business travellers can automate route guidance through Triplink integration with Concur solutions in addition to accessing seamless trip reporting capabilities for all travel-related expenses, including parking and fueling transactions. All in-trip payment transactions can be effortlessly reported in Concur Expense solutions in real time and be ready for the traveler to submit by the time the trip is complete.

Mojio’s cloud integration with SAP Vehicles Network takes the guesswork out of parking, enabling drivers to plan and reserve a parking spot based on calendar events or search, as well as to find and pay for a spot in real time based on the connected vehicle’s location. A “tap” inside Mojio’s app toggles between personal and business, allowing for automated expense reporting to Concur solutions. Together, Mojio and SAP plan to bring automated parking and fueling services to a growing base of connected drivers around the world.

SAP Vehicles Network makes any car smart and transactional by providing drivers with cashless access to on- and off-street parking and connected fueling stations. It minimises unnecessary drive time and fuel expenditures and helps reduce traffic and emissions caused by drivers searching for open spaces.

“With leading partners like Hertz and Nokia and new customers like Mojio, SAP is delivering new levels of value for businesses and end consumers based on SAP Cloud Platform, SAP Leonardo and tight integration with Concur solutions,” said Dr Tanja Rueckert, executive vice president, IoT and Digital Supply Chain, SAP.

“SAP Vehicles Network puts the end consumer in the driver’s seat by transforming the vehicle into the ultimate digital wallet and making car rental into a seamless, intelligent experience.”