The Pan-European eCall Trial of NXP and Partners concluded today 25 November 2010 in Brussels. Thousands of eCalls sent in 16 EU countries proved that the on-board systems are ready for a European emergency system. Juhani Jääskeläinen from the European Commission and Hermann Meyer CEO of ERTICO joined the Grand Finish of the pan-European eCall Trial.
The trial which was initiated by NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) involved major industry players including BMW IBM Allianz OrtungsServices Deutsche Telekom Dekra and European automobile clubs such as Touring ANBW AvD and UAMK. Three cars equipped with NXP’s telematics solution ATOP (Automotive Telematics On-Board Unit Platform) drove a total of 16000 kilometers through sixteen different EU countries. During a two-week period the telematics boxes sent out 15000 eCalls via the mobile networks of Deutsche Telekom and its roaming partners; the eCalls were received and processed by IBM Allianz OrtungsServices and BMW servers or call centres.
The trial reached its official conclusion with a public finish at the eSafety Forum in Brussels on 25 November where the three cars arrived two weeks after departing from Madrid Athens and Helsinki respectively.
On their way to the final destination of Brussels the three BMWs regularly sent test eCalls in each country they crossed demonstrating that the technology is capable of working across borders regardless of which standards (SMS-based or in-band modem) prevail locally. BMW is one of the pioneers of implementing telematics systems. The Advanced Assist eCall solution is available in all BMW models and is already in place.
Kurt Sievers senior vice president and general manager of NXP Semiconductors’ Automotive business unit explains: “We are proud that in this landmark trial NXP’s ATOP telematics system has proven reliable across country borders and technical standards. Large-scale introduction of eCall is about reliability system costs and trust. This is why we sent the eCall on tour supporting the European Union with its implementation in Europe.”
Juhani Jääskeläinen European Commission states: “We are pleased to see that the implementation of eCall is becoming a reality in Europe. The closure of this eCall tour by a consortium of industry partners is an important step towards the EU’s objective to have eCall deployed in all cars in Europe as soon as possible.”
Hermann Meyer CEO of ERTICO a European public-private partnership for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems welcomes the Trial initiative: “It is fantastic to see this cooperation of major eCall stakeholders to show their support and the functioning of this life-saving service.”
About eCall
eCall is an EU system designed to reduce the time it takes for rescue services to respond to traffic accidents across Europe by sending an automated emergency call which includes vital data such as the exact location and time of the accident.
The European Union has called for mandatory implementation of eCall for all new automobiles. According to the EU between 2013 and 2015 all new cars should be fitted with eCall as standard. This pan-European emergency system should contribute to the fast and reliable arrival of emergency services at the accident location. Triggered either by the release of an airbag or by manual release an emergency call is made conveying vital details in the minimum set of data (MSD) such as time of incident and exact geographic location. Studies have shown that eCall could save up to 2500 lives annually in Europe while the number of serious injuries could be reduced by 15 percent.
NXP’s solution for eCall is called ATOP. ATOP is a telematics module little bigger than a two-Euro coin allowing cost-efficient and flexible integration in auto electronics. It is automotive-certified serial production was launched in 2010.
Read all about the European eCall Trial here.
Link to original Article
http://www.ertico.com/pan-european-ecall-trial-of-nxp-and-partners-concludes-in-brussels/
Original Publication Date: Thu 25 Nov 2010
