WebTech Wireless, a provider of location-based and fleet telematics services, announced Tuesday, May 1, that an application-specific integrated circuit designed for installation on large-volume assembly lines of automotive manufacturers will be available in production and deployment form. The ASIC is designed to deliver telematics and location-based services to passenger and commercial vehicles.
The GSM-based wireless gateway ASIC is designed for facilitating telematics and LBS using GPS and a centralized telematics and LBS management system based on WebTech Wireless’s Quadrant technology. The GSM-based wireless device includes a dynamically configurable virtual SIM card, a telematics and LBS virtual client, and event profiles designed to allow the wireless device to be dynamically configured and reconfigured. The wireless gateway device is a telematics and LBS ASIC designed to allow easy and totally integrated installation on the assembly lines of vehicle manufacturers. Along with a reduction in size and costs, the ASIC is designed to be fully compatible with original equipment manufacturer passenger and commercial vehicle interface standards such as CANBUS and J1939.
“The Telematics and LBS ASIC is based on a WebTech Wireless patent-pending technology and is being developed by our engineering teams,” says Anwar Sukkarie, co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Vancouver, British Columbia-based WebTech Wireless. “This advanced wireless gateway will be available to every vehicle being assembled by an automotive manufacturer. The ASIC is a cornerstone of our OEM strategy, which has been formulated and is currently being implemented. Combined with a GSM service provider solution such as the recently announced agreement with Rogers Wireless, a well-developed ROI model, and our proven ability to execute efficiently on our plans, the fully integrated ASIC formulates a powerful strategy aimed at standardizing our industry worldwide. We remain true to our vision that one day every vehicle will have a wireless gateway. Our mission is for WebTech Wireless to be the supplier of the products and services made possible through that wireless gateway.”
The technology behind the ASIC aims at enabling a multitude of services available to end-users in four service categories: telematics and location-based services, safety and security, entertainment, and remote diagnostics. “We aim to make the patent-pending ASIC available in production quantities within 18 to 24 months,” says Cameron Fraser, co-founder and chief technology officer of WebTech Wireless. “Fitting this ASIC on automotive manufacturing lines and fully integrating with a passenger vehicle’s electronics will see telematics and LBS become a mainstream fixture in passenger and commercial vehicles worldwide.”
WebTech Wireless has developed a business model based on the TLMS and ASIC technology. The company says the model provides impressive return on investment, distribution channels worldwide and an infrastructure capable of significant growth; it also focuses on an ROI that benefits all parties involved, from the vehicle owner to the GSM service provider. The model includes insurance services, location-based marketing and the possibility of discounts on clean gasoline by redeeming carbon credits. All these benefits are made available to the vehicle driver and program participant through the ASIC and Quadrant-based TLMS technology, according to WebTech Wireless.
