SAP develops in-vehicle mobility services

As part of a co-innovation project, SAP AG and BMW Group Research and Technology have developed technology infrastructure for in-vehicle mobility services. The research prototype is based on the SAP HANA Cloud Platform and will provide personalized services to drivers based on their location and route. This collaboration brings SAP one step closer toward making its vision of the connected car a reality. The announcement was made at Mobile World Congress 2014, being held February 24-27 in Barcelona, Spain.

The cloud-based platform from SAP serves as a link between BMW and external partners that provide services such as parking, fuel, beverages and food. Information from the various partners is aggregated in a virtual marketplace that, in the future, could allow BMW to give passengers and drivers contextualized and personalized offerings via the in-car dashboard or mobile device. The SAP back end enables service providers to combine services and create new offerings tailored to particular drivers and passengers’ preferences.

Together with BMW Group Research and Technology, SAP has developed a prototype for parking and retail “couponing” use cases. Based on the driver’s profile and vehicle location, the system provides an appropriate space close to the driver’s destination. Related information such as fees and suitability for particular vehicles are also displayed. Once the parking space has been selected by the driver, the location is transmitted to the navigation system for routing guidance.

In the “couponing” use case, the driver receives information on deals based on his or her current location, selected route and individual preferences. Detailed information on each deal is also available. To help avoid distractions while driving, the driver can control the frequency in which the deals are displayed. Deals can be bookmarked and, as in the parking use case, the store location can be transmitted directly to the navigation system for routing guidance. The selected coupon is sent to the driver’s smartphone and can be redeemed immediately at the point of purchase.