OREANDA-NEWS. June 05, 2015. Volvo Cars’ innovative work in the field of connected car and cloud technology has been recognised with the prestigious Car Maker of the Year Award from Telematics Update. The award was presented on June 2, at the Telematics Update Automotive Congress in Detroit.

With the launch of the new XC90, Volvo Cars has completely re-conceived the way drivers operate their car by dispensing with the normal array of buttons and replacing them with a large tablet-like touch screen, a heads-up display, voice control and thumb controls on the steering wheel.

“We take the best available technology and make it work in the most useful way for our customers. It’s about using technology to provide tangible real-life benefits, rather than providing technology just for the sake of it. The car industry is on the verge of massive changes in this respect, and Volvo Cars is at the vanguard of this in-car technology revolution,” said Klas Bendrik, Senior Vice President & CIO at Volvo Car Group, as he collected the coveted award.

Integrated applications

New features in the Sensus Connect solution offer a broad selection of cloud-based applications with an integrated look and feel. Available applications, which vary by market, include Internet radio, real-time location sharing, finding and paying for parking and discovering new restaurants or local attractions. Volvo Cars can also now suggest and book a time for car service when it is required with the Connected Service Booking application.

Smartphone integration
Apart from offering integrated, cloud-based applications, Sensus Connect will also offer Apple CarPlay, and at a later stage Android Auto, bringing familiar phone-based applications into the Volvo car interface. Such applications will include phone, messaging, music and navigation to begin with.

Volvo On Call

In addition to providing one of the most advanced in-car control and infotainment systems, Volvo Cars’ Sensus Connect also allows remote control of some key car features, such a setting precondition timings to heat up or cool down the car, sending destinations to the navigation system, locking and unlocking the doors and much more with its dedicated smart-phone application, Volvo On Call.

Ground-breaking vision

“Volvo Cars’ aims to constantly innovate and pioneer in the field of the connected car. Our vision is that cars will not only communicate with their drivers, but also with other vehicles and eventually broader society. By sharing and receiving relevant road safety data, for example, Volvo cars could, in the very near future, help to improve the safety of other road users while at the same time helping to streamline traffic flow and reduce emissions and eventually infrastructure costs,” concluded Klas Bendrik.