Sprint Velocity to be powered by Rogers' national wireless networks
Canadians to experience next generation in-car infotainment and
telematics technology
TORONTO AND OVERLAND PARK, Kan, Sept. 26, 2013 /CNW/ - Rogers
Communications Inc. (RCI:B) and Sprint (NYSE: S) announced today that they have reached an agreement enabling
Sprint to bring a comprehensive in-car infotainment and telematics
solution to Canadians. Through the agreement, auto manufacturers
deploying Sprint Velocity in Canada will leverage Rogers' wireless
networks to connected vehicles on the road.
"Canadians want to be connected from anywhere, at any time, and with
over twenty million vehicles on the road in Canada there is a strong
growth opportunity for Rogers in the connected auto segment," said
Mansell Nelson, Vice-President, Advanced Business Solutions, Rogers.
"Sprint Velocity will bring to Canada the ultimate connected car
experience on the road, with a combination of smartphone, tablet and
in-dash capabilities, while also delivering safety features and
communicating vehicle maintenance information seamlessly to
manufacturers."
Canadians driving vehicles that use the Sprint Velocity solution will
have access to a seamless, connected experience on the road. Connected
services including infotainment (news, weather, sports and more),
navigation, climate control, security, emergency services and vehicle
diagnostics are all available with a convenient in-dash touch screen.
Sprint Velocity also provides connectivity for mobile devices in the
car including smartphones and tablets.
"We're pleased to select Rogers as our preferred provider of end-to-end
connectivity to connected vehicles throughout Canada", said Ben Vos,
Vice-President and General Manager for Sprint's Emerging Solutions
Group. "We look forward to teaming with our trusted colleagues at
Rogers to bring Sprint Velocity's award-winning in-vehicle connected
experience to Canadian consumers."
Sprint Velocity combines technical integration with Sprint's deep
expertise in wireless customer experience, customer relationship
management and wireless applications. Sprint Velocity is a
comprehensive global end-to-end automotive systems solution designed
specifically for vehicle manufacturers. Through mobile integration,
Sprint Velocity allows automakers around the world to develop and
market connected services for cars and passenger trucks. In the past
year, Sprint Velocity has delivered an enhanced consumer experience to
drivers across the United States. This agreement will enable the
extension of Sprint velocity to Canadian drivers as global automakers
launch connected vehicles in Canada.
Globally, the connected car market is poised to grow exponentially.
Leading industry research indicates nearly 100 million connected cars
will be on the road by 20161. Additionally, the automotive and transport sector will have the
highest share of connectivity-related revenue by 2021, driven by the
increasing adoption of consumer connected car solutions2.
"Rogers is Canada's largest wireless network operator by number of
subscribers and has established itself as a leader in delivering M2M
and wireless business solutions to the Canadian market," said Tony
Olvet, group vice-president of research, IDC Canada. "This new
agreement with Sprint will position Rogers well for the next phase of
meaningful growth."
Earlier this month, Rogers surpassed powering over one million
Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connections, further establishing Rogers
industry leadership in the Canadian market. Through strategic network
and partner agreements, Rogers is further poised to capitalize on
growth opportunities across key verticals including automotive,
healthcare, retail and managed services.
To learn more about Advanced Business Solutions from Rogers, visit www.rogersm2mbusiness.com.
To learn more about Sprint Velocity, visit www.m2m.sprint.com/velocity or watch an interactive demo at Sprint Velocity video.
About Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media
company. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless voice and data
communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable
television, high speed internet and telephony services. Through Rogers
Media we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised
shopping, magazines and trade publications, sports entertainment, and
digital media. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange
(TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).
For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please
visit rogers.com.
About Sprint
Sprint offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline
communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers,
businesses and government users. Sprint served more than 53 million
customers at the end of the second quarter of 2013 and is widely
recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative
technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national
carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data
services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost
Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international
push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The
American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint as the most improved
company in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, during the
last five years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in both its 2011 and 2012 Green Rankings, listing it
as one of the nation's greenest companies, the highest of any
telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
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1 Juniper Research, March 2012
2 Analysys Mason, June 2012
SOURCE Rogers Communications Inc.
