Tip of the Week: Simple Device Turns Your Car Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

The Internet of Things may have just entered social consciousness, but people have been trying to add Internet functionality to devices for quite some time. One instance of this is the development and manufacture of smart car technology. In the same way as our services are designed to proactively monitor and maintain your business’ network, a smart car has been developed largely as an completely connected automobile that allows car owners to worry less about their car and to get the most out of their investment and driving experiences.

The further along microprocessors get, the smarter cars get. This correlation can largely be seen through the culture, but people have a different relationship with their cars than they do with, say, their washer and dryer. Besides their homes, their car is their largest investment, so they look to get the most value out of it that they can.

One company, Zubie, has developed a way to use the existing computing infrastructure that is present in most non-electric cars to get some of the functionality that many people would pay tens of thousands of dollars to receive in their new car. It does this by providing tracking and analytics, car diagnostics, and if you so choose, Wi-Fi.

The dongle connects to your car’s diagnostic port and immediately begins tracking the car’s movement. The Zubie tracks the route your car takes and also measures the acceleration, speed, braking, time you drive, cost of fuel used, and more. It also uses the VIN number, the diagnostic information, and the mileage to give you a relatively accurate representation of what your automobile is worth. There are even features for those who have teen drivers, for parents who want a little peace of mind when their teenager is borrowing their wheels.

You can see that the Zubie has some practical value for the individual user, but how can you leverage this simple device for your business? The first thing you’ll want to do is to set up your Zubie Business account at http://biz.zubie.co. Once you have submitted the basic information about your business, Zubie will customize your experience based on business type and size. Select the notifications you would like to see and install the Zubie mobile app on your devices.

Zubie will then track and relay drivers’ information to a central hub, all the while creating a leaderboard (to engage drivers in friendly competition with the other drivers in your company), complete trip histories for every Zubie key in use, a comprehensive driver scorecard for each automobile, and a useful snapshot of all the driving activity your company has done over the week or the month. With the ability to add users and admins the Zubie for Business interface it can make your drivers and dispatchers more efficient, while reducing the strain put on your fleet.

Whether you are an individual who wants to know your family’s whereabouts or you run a business that utilizes a fleet of vehicles, the Zubie is a great solution to increase your car’s intelligence and get more out of your vehicles. The Zubie is just one of many Internet-connected devices that can help businesses get more out of their existing resources. To learn more about Internet of Things devices that can benefit your business, call us today at 607.433.2200.