Toyota is launching what may be a formidable competitor to GM’s OnStar telematics system. Available on Toyota and Lexus vehicles by late summer 2009, the new system was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show being held in Las Vegas this week.
Although Toyota’s new telematics system, which is called Safety Connect, will be available on many Toyota and Lexus vehicles, the system will be slightly different for each brand. Among the differences is that the system on Lexus branded vehicle will be called Enform rather than Safety Connect. Both systems may offer drivers one of the best Toyota electronic accessories for safety and security.
The new telematics system from Toyota will operate similarly to OnStar. If the vehicle’s airbag is deployed, an operator will attempt to contact the driver. In the event that there is no response, the operator will contact 911 and inform emergency services of the vehicle’s location. Both Safety Connect and Enform will have a button inside the vehicle to allow the occupants to contact emergency help themselves.
Embedded within Toyota’s Safety Connect and Enform will be GPS technology that will help in locating the vehicle should an emergency arise. Additionally, the Lexus system will provide slightly more data to the driver and vehicle occupants, including weather information, route guidance, and other features.
Toyota will offer a one-year free trial when it becomes available this summer. Toyota dealers Olympia expect that plenty of Toyota buyers will appreciate knowing the system is there, even if they never need to use it. Following the trial period, customers will be able to subscribe to the service.
For more information on Toyota Safety Connect, view the press release below.
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LAS VEGAS (January 7, 2009) – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc.
today announced the launch of its proprietary telematics system, Safety
Connect. The all-new telematics system will be available on select
Toyota models starting in late summer 2009, helping to bring its
drivers an added peace of mind.
“We are proud to introduce these services and advance our
relationships with our customers by providing them the features they
need to feel safer and more secure while on the road,” said Jon Bucci,
TMS vice president, Advanced Technology Department.
“When developing our telematics systems, we ramped up our R&D
efforts, intent on creating a system that reflects the voice of our
customers and their clearly expressed strong desires for safety and
security features on their next vehicle purchase.”
New Offerings Built on a Solid Heritage of Quality
With characteristic Toyota vision, sights have been set on
bringing Toyota’s proprietary telematics system to the U.S. for many
years.
“Prior to entering the U.S. market full force, Toyota practiced a
deliberate approach to product development based on our experience in
Japan, in-depth research and relentless product testing in order to
both deliver to customers’ expectations and produce systems befitting
the Toyota name,” said Bucci. “Safety Connect is the result of several
years of due diligence and dedicated teams working in partnership with
our highly experienced providers.”
Safety Connect: A Secure Foundation
Safety Connect provides the fundamental services necessary to
extend confidence to drivers on the road. Available on select vehicles,
Safety Connect includes the following four safety and security facets:
Automatic Collision Notification (ACN)
Safety Connect’s ACN will help drivers receive the necessary
response from emergency teams. In the event of either an airbag
deployment or a severe rear-end collision; the response center will be
automatically notified via embedded cellular technology and GPS. Once
the response center agent receives the vehicle ID and the vehicle’s
location, the agent can speak with the driver to ascertain the level of
emergency. If the driver is unable to communicate, the agent
automatically treats the call as an emergency. The response center
agent then uses the vehicle’s GPS location to determine the nearest
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) available to provide emergency
support and will offer to stay on the line until emergency assistance
arrives.
Stolen Vehicle Location (SVL)
Safety Connect subscribers will be able to rely on an extra level
of security in the event that their vehicle is stolen. If this should
happen, Safety Connect will assist in tracking the location of the
stolen vehicle using the vehicle’s GPS. Once a police report has been
filed and the owner contacts the Safety Connect call center to report
the theft, call center agents will assist local authorities to help
recover the vehicle—keeping the owner apprised of the progress.
Emergency Assistance Button (SOS)
All Safety Connect–enabled vehicles will come equipped with an SOS
button, with the call center's 24-hour emergency assistance only a
press away. When an emergency situation develops, subscribed customers
will be able to quickly reach the Safety Connect response center to
communicate their emergency. Again using embedded cellular and GPS
technology, the agent will assess the situation and dispatch the
necessary assistance based on the type of emergency.
Roadside Assistance
When a driver encounters problems on the road, the Safety Connect
response center will be available for roadside assistance 24 hours a
day via the SOS button. Call center agents will help drivers receive
aid for a wide range of needs, such as towing, jump start, flat tire,
fuel delivery, etc. With this service, drivers will not need to rely on
additional membership organizations for roadside coverage to help them
get back on the road.
All Safety Connect calls will be sent directly to Toyota’s
dedicated, specialized telematics response center operated by ATX
Group, a leading provider of global automotive telematics services for
over a decade. Drivers can rest even easier with the added level of
confidence that comes with having this service as the backbone of
Safety Connect’s security offerings.
“While a portion of the industry appears to be migrating to
reliance upon wireless handheld devices to deliver in-vehicle safety,
we’ve followed our engineering insights and G-Book roots in Japan.
Based on our experience and research, our core safety and security
technology is embedded in the vehicle to help ensure reliability and
responsiveness.”
Availability
Safety Connect will be delivered on select models beginning in
late summer 2009 as embedded, factory-installed hardware that can be
activated upon subscription at dealerships. An included one-year trial
subscription will be offered for new vehicle purchases. More details on
product roll-out will be announced closer to launch.* * *
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