Carcom, developed by Intelematics Australia, incorporates GSM (global system for mobile communications) and GPS (global positioning system) hardware and a two-way voice system that provides a range of services focusing on vehicle security and personal safety.
Already used by 1000 NSW and Victoria-based motorists, CarCom will be installed in Holden Statesman International and Caprice models later this year, with its onboard information service available on an optional subscription basis.
Currently in consumer testing, the information service will lie behind the current CarCom button pad, which the motorist must press to retrieve details on things such as news, traffic, parking and street directions. The system uses Phillips Speech Pearl 2000 speech recognition technology and Legion Interactive content.
"We've structured certain [information] menus which will be up for revision after we analyse the research results," CarCom marketing manager Chris Cassar told ZDNet Australia. "The system will handle a very broad range of services over time," he added.
The eight-week long trial incorporates about 200 customers and will end in November, with the service expected to be ready for market early in the New Year.
CarCom has already seen a number of success stories following the launch of its onboard security communication 18 months ago -- the most recent being a Melbourne motorist who was accosted in his vehicle by two car jackers who stole his wallet and demanded he drive to the nearest ATM.
When the driver triggered an alert button on the CarCom key pad an operator at the group's Telematics Assistance Centre communicated directly with the driver via two-way radio, located the vehicle by GPS and notified the police that an incident was underway.
Had this not been sufficient to scare off the attackers, CarCom would have tracked the car and remotely immobilised it.
CarCom, marketed through NRMA and Victoria's roadside assistance service organisation RACV, is available for an annual fee of AU$295 (plus GST), with the Oztrack developed GPS/GSM hardware costing an additional AU$1500, plus an installation fee of between AU$300 and AU$500.
Pricing for the CarCom information service has yet to be determined.
I was just wondering about the legality of:
1)remotely disabling a car even if it is known to be stolen.
2 the possibility that a device malfunction can bring a car to an abrupt halt.
There are obvious road safety issues. Who would bear the legal resposnsibility in each of these cases if death or injury were to occur to road users.