eCall trial partners include NXP, BMW Group, IBM, Allianz OrtungsServices,
DEKRA, Deutsche Telekom, and auto clubs AvD, Touring and UAMK;
eCall could save 2,500 lives a year in Europe
Singapore, November 10th, 2010 – At the electronica 2010 conference in Munich today, NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Nasdaq: NXPI) and its partners will launch a pan-European field trial of the eCall emergency system, which automatically calls emergency operators in the event of a road accident. eCall sends vital data such as the time of the accident and the GPS coordinates of the accident point, and the number of vehicle occupants to a Public Safety Accident Point (PSAP). The goal of eCall is to reduce the time it takes emergency services to arrive at the accident scene by 40 to 50 percent according to the place of accident, thus reducing car accident victims by up to 2,500 lives a year, reducing the seriousness of injuries, and potentially saving an estimated €26 billion a year. Taking part in this field trial alongside NXP are organizations representing essential parts of the rescue chain, including partners BMW, IBM, Allianz OrtungsServices, DEKRA, and Deutsche Telekom, as well as automobile clubs AvD, Touring and UAMK.
The pan-European eCall trial kicks off today with three cars starting from Madrid, Athens and Helsinki. Within two weeks, the three cars will drive to Brussels, where the closing event of the eSafety Forum will be held on November 25, 2010.
Each of the vehicles is equipped with a small onboard telematics unit based on NXP technology. During the 10,000 kilometer journey, the telematics unit will send out test emergency calls at regular intervals, which will be analyzed by servers from IBM, and will be sent to Allianz OrtungsServices and the BMW call center. The trial intends to show that eCall is not dependent on the present standards used; that it functions reliably across all European borders; and that the telematics solution is compatible with given EU eCall standards. The EU drives solutions based on an in-band modem.
“eCall works across EU borders, using either an in-band modem or SMS from the car. NXP has developed a solution for this – the ATOP (Automotive Telematics On-Board Unit Platform). ATOP is a module, a little bigger than a two-Euro coin, which can be cost-efficiently and flexibly integrated in auto electronics,” said Lars Reger, vice president of strategy and business development for the Automotive and Identification business unit at NXP. The NXP solution is automotive-certified and serial production was launched in 2010.
eCall in the starting blocks – BMW Assist Advanced eCall leading the way
Currently circa three percent of all vehicles worldwide are fitted with a telematics system, which is required for eCall. BMW is one of the pioneers of implementing telematics systems. The solution is available in all BMW models and is already in place. Recently at the the Modial de L’Automobile 2010 in Paris, BMW Group was presented with a special award of the European New Car Assessment Programme (EURO NCAP) for safety examinations. The eCall solution was recognized as groundbreaking in relation to the requirements of the crash test and safety technology. Customers are also responding very positively; BMW frequently gets feedback from people who were rescued quickly thanks to eCall.
The technical requirements for a European deployment are already in place. NXP has developed an inexpensive telematics solution, which enables other services possible in addition to eCall. At this pan-European trial, the test signal from each location will be sent from the ATOP-based vehicle telematics solution, also known as an onboard unit, to the nearest rescue service point via Deutsche Telekom’s mobile network and roaming partners. For the rescue service points, IBM offers appropriate hardware, software and its messaging and visual solutions, providing precise localization and mapping.
Allianz OrtungsServices (AOS) offers rescue service units (PSAPs) with the exact location of any casualties, through mobile networks via its LifeService112 Location Platform. As an information provider AOS receives, decodes, visualizes and communicates the conditioned emergency dataset directly to a local rescue coordination center. AOS sees itself as an “adapter” of different processes and technologies between different telecommunications providers and rescue coordination centers.
The exact positioning enables rescue units to be quicker at the accident scene. In addition to rescue services, automobile associations (such as AvD and Touring from Belgium or UAMK from the Czech Republic) are also informed about the accident at the same time. Their service vehicles can quickly clear the accident area, offering a service optimized for car owners, and thus helping to minimize disruption to the flow of traffic.
2,500 Human Lives
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. For example, following the release of an airbag – an emergency call is made conveying vital details. At the same time, manual activation is also possible. According to studies, eCall could save up to 2,500 lives annually in Europe, while the amount of serious injuries could be reduced by 15 percent.
Follow the European eCall Trial with daily updates at: www.nxp.com/ecall
Further information about NXP’s eCall system – ATOP – can be found here.
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Nasdaq: NXPI) provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions that leverage its leading RF, Analog, Power Management, Interface, Security and Digital Processing expertise. These innovations are used in a wide range of automotive, identification, wireless infrastructure, lighting, industrial, mobile, consumer and computing applications. Headquartered in Europe, the company has approximately 28,000 employees working in more than 25 countries and posted revenue of US$ 3.8 billion in 2009. For more information, visit www.nxp.com
About IBM
IBM, with sales totaling $95.8 billion in 2009, is one of the world’s largest providers of information technology (hardware, software and services) and B2B solutions. It currently has a payroll of 399,400 employees and is active in over 170 countries. IBM in Germany, headquartered close to Stuttgart, is IBM’s largest country company in Europe.
For more about IBM, visit: ibm.com/de/ibm/unternehmen/index.html
The BMW Group
The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. The pre-tax profit for 2009 was euro 413 million, revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.
The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last five years.
About Deutsche Telekom AG
Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with over 129 million mobile customers, around 37 million fixed-network lines and approximately 16 million broadband lines (as of September 30, 2010). The company offers products and services in the areas of fixed-network telephony, broadband Internet), mobile communications, internet, and IPTV for private customers as well as ICT solutions. As an international Group with approximately 250,000 employees operating in around 50 countries worldwide and 250,000 employees, Deutsche Telekom generated more than half of its revenue – EUR 64.6 billion – outside of Germany (as of December 31, 2009).
Allianz OrtungsServices
The Allianz OrtungsServices GmbH, a subsidiary of Allianz Deutschland AG, has experience in telematics for emergency call management since 2005 and provides LifeService112, a technical platform for most public safety answering points for vehicle and mobile phone localization. For more information about Allianz OrtungsServices GmbH, visit http://www.allianz-ortung.de
