Sierra Wireless and ACTIA Collaborate on Wireless Platform
Sierra Wireless and ACTIA have announced that the ACTIA Group, an international provider of value-added electronic equipment for the automotive market, has selected Sierra Wireless AirPrime™ AR Series modules to provide high-performance connectivity for its latest in-vehicle technology platform. AirPrime AR Series modules were designed and developed to achieve the highest level of compliance with automotive specifications, providing an unmatched level of quality and performance under harsh operating conditions.
The new platform, called the ACU-II (ACTIA Connect Unit second generation), uses the AirPrime module to allow drivers to connect and manage various functions of vehicles through a smartphone application, giving them the ability to, for example, lock or unlock their doors or turn on the heater. It also provides compliance with European and Russian eCall requirements and enables stolen vehicle tracking functionality to meet regulations in other areas such as Brazil.
“We needed a wireless solution provider that understood the unique requirements of the automotive market,” said Christian Sahlén, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at ACTIA Nordic. “Sierra Wireless offered unmatched experience and expertise in the integration of wireless for automotive and telematics applications, as well as a solution that provided eCall support already built-in, making the company a natural fit for our project.”
As part of their collaboration, Sierra Wireless and ACTIA are supporting the HeERO pilot project, currently underway in Sweden. Managed by ERTICO ITS Europe, the HeERO pilot project was created to prepare the European member states for introduction of eCall (Emergency Call) by implementing and testing eCall pre-deployment pilots in real-life environments in nine countries. The purpose of eCall is to reduce injuries and fatalities in the event of car accidents, through the automatic dialing and transmission of incident information to emergency services. The eCall system is designed to be interoperable across Europe, to guarantee service regardless of location.
“The integration of mobile connections into vehicles, whether for remote management, tracking, safety, navigation, or infotainment, is a growing trend and one in which Sierra Wireless has participated from the start, first providing embedded modules and software libraries for in-vehicle applications more than 10 years ago,” said Didier Dutronc, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Embedded Solutions for Sierra Wireless. “We are thrilled to collaborate with ACTIA to provide an innovative wireless solution that can make such an impact on both safety and quality of life for drivers.”