This week’s SmartCar roundup features a call for more collaboration between tech giants and car manufacturers, a new M2M solution for IoT, and new partnerships for connected cars.

Volkswagen’s call for further collaboration

At the CeBIT 2014 in Hannover, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winkerhorn called for further collaboration between the auto and tech industries to support efforts in connecting vehicles to the Internet.  He is also calling for a voluntary agreement between manufacturers to protect sensitive information about the car’s users and the cars themselves.

Winkerhorn believes that connecting vehicles to the Internet can be better accomplished by those in the tech industry.  Volkswagen is already a part of Google’s Open Automotive Alliance which aims to develop an Android-based platform for automobiles.

Deutsche Telekom’s M2M solution

For Deutsche Telekom, machine-to-machine communication is in the heart of the Internet of Things. At CeBIT 2014, the company showcased various applications of its M2M solutions such as connected parking lots, streetlights, car washes, cars and many others.

“Deutsche Telekom identified early on M2M and the Internet of Things as central growth areas, and it is now one of the leading international providers in this field,” explains Dr. Thomas Kiessling, Deutsche Telekom’s Chief Product & Innovation Officer. “Our strategy of open ecosystems successfully combines our platform expertise with our partners’ vertical strengths. This enables us to help shape not only the present but also the future of this dynamic market.”

Vodafone

UK-based Vodafone has struck a deal with Volkswagen and Audi which will allow it to provide embedded SIM cards to vehicles manufactured by the companies.  By 2015, vehicles released by Volkswagen and Audi in the UK will get high-speed Internet access via Vodafone’s network and global machine-to-machine (M2M) service platform.

“We are pleased to supply machine-to-machine communications to Volkswagen Group,” said Erik Brenneis, CEO of Vodafone M2M, in a statement late last week. “As a result of this agreement, we will strengthen further our position in the automotive sector – one of the key markets for M2M communication.”

photo: PhotoDu.de / CreativeDomainPhotography.com via photopin cc