Ficosa and Panasonic introduce latest technology in connected car at MWC 2016

Barcelona, 22 February, 2016.-  Ficosa CEO, Javier Pujol, has ensured today at Mobile World Congress that we are at the beginning of a new era in which the car is no longer just a means of transport to become a Smart Car, a connected device that will be the central axis of the Internet of things. “Connected car will totally transform our lives to make them safer, more comfortable and more informed with endless entertainment opportunities.” As he said: “The car will become the most powerful multiplatform source of communication in which the interconnection between people, objects and infrastructures have no limits.”

This Smart Car offers a wide range of services and features designed to make our lives so much better. From alerting of vehicles around us to avoid collisions, transporting us without having to drive in order we can finish a report on the way to work, providing traffic information indicating the best route, to enabling us to turn on the car heating through the Smartphone to have a comfortable temperature when we get into.

Ficosa and Panasonic integrate technologies to lead the development of the car of the future

Ficosa, top-tier global provider devoted to the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of high-technology vision, safety, connectivity and efficiency systems for the automotive and mobility sectors, has been working intensively on connected car development for the automotive industry for more than 9 years. As Pujol has explained: “The partnership with Panasonic consolidates Ficosa in the new technologies market, creating the first global group specializing capable of leading the automobile transformation”.

Both companies are working on integrating its know-how and complementary technologies to accelerate the launch of new product categories, which will be the basis of the automobile of the future in the areas of connectivity, safety and efficiency. This technology collaboration is the result of the capital and business alliance between the two companies, which was formalised on the 30th of June with Panasonic acquiring 49% of Ficosa shares.

Smart Connectivity Module, the latest in connected car

In this regard, Ficosa and Panasonic present at MWC the new generation of Smart Connectivity Module (SCM), a ground-breaking solution that enables all passengers to be simultaneously but independently connected through the vehicle’s own connection. This system, based on a connectivity platform, offers a secure connection for communications inside and outside the car, and for communication between vehicles (V2V) and with infrastructure (V2X).

The SCM provides important features to improve safety, such as how long the vehicle has been running without a stop, traffic density, weather conditions, dangerous areas and those with limited visibility in order to avoid accidents. It also allows users to surf the Internet, watch movies, listen to music, play online games and access the GNSS navigator, among other functions.

Ficosa CEO also stressed this morning that this solution “represents a further step towards autonomous car, integrating the car in communication networks, such as a device of the Internet of things.” He concluded: “Products like Smart Connectivity Module are a good example of the potential offered by the integration of our technology with Panasonic. This Japanese company is the best partner we could have to maximize synergies and reach the critical mass to become a leading systems supplier globally”.