Vodafone Wins GSMA Award for 'Best Mobile Product or Service for Automotive'

Vodafone, in conjunction with BMW i, MINI and Sixt, has been announced the winner of the ‘Best Mobile Product or Service for Automotive’ category at the Global Mobile Awards 2013 at Mobile World Congress. DriveNow, the world’s first all premium car sharing service where vehicles communicate their location via an embedded telematics unit, has been recognised for its use of mobile connectivity in the rapidly converging mobile and automotive space.

Erik Brenneis, Director of M2M, Vodafone, said, “We are honoured to have been given this award and really pleased that the GSMA is as excited about this service as we are. DriveNow already has over 88,000 users and a fleet of 1,500 cars across Germany and the US. The automotive industry can benefit hugely from this kind of mobile technology. By connecting cars to the internet, manufacturers, dealers, insurers and service providers can transform the products and services they offer. This will help to drive down operating costs, comply with new regulation, improve the user experience and generate revenue streams in new, innovative ways.”

DriveNow is based on mobile technology enabling cars to be rented from and dropped off anywhere within the area of business. Vehicles can be instantly accessed by registered members or booked in advance using a smartphone application.

To use the service, the consumer simply signs up online and receives a DriveNow ID (RFID). He or she can then either pick up a car on the street or reserve via a smartphone app, internet or call centre. A simple app communicates with DriveNow’s backend IT system via BMW’s telematic platform ConnectedDrive to authenticate the user and confirm a booking. The system will tell the user the location of the nearest car, which is done via an embedded telematics unit with a Vodafone M2M SIM. The consumer can open the door with his DriveNow ID, enter a 4 digit pin and then start the motor with the start button. No physical car key is involved.

For further information:

Vodafone Group

Media Relations

Tel: +44 1635 664444

Notes to editor:

GSMA announcement:

http://www.gsma.com/newsroom/gsma-announces-winners-of-the-2013-global-mobile-awards

About Vodafone

Vodafone is one of the world's largest mobile communications companies by revenue with approximately 403 million customers in its controlled and jointly controlled markets as of 31 December 2012. Vodafone currently has equity interests in over 30 countries across five continents and more than 50 partner networks worldwide. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com.

About Vodafone Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications

Vodafone Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connects previously isolated machines or devices to the internet, delivering new functionality and enhanced services without the need for human intervention. Supported by over 20 years’ experience and 250 dedicated staff, Vodafone’s global M2M platform makes it easy for global businesses to centrally manage M2M deployments across multiple territories, with greater control and at a lower cost than previously possible. http://m2m.vodafone.com/home/

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