DGE, an FEV company, announces landmark infotainment / telematics benchmarking study

DGE, an FEV North America, Inc. company, announced therelease of its infotainment / telematics benchmarking study. It’s believed thatthis is the first attempt to apply objective benchmarking to the infotainment /telematics industry. Dr. Joachim Wolschendorf, President and CEO of DGE, Inc.,made the announcement.

“Infotainment and telematics systems are quicklybecoming a primary decision making criteria as younger consumers begin buyingcars,” said Wolschendorf. “The evaluation of system performance iscurrently highly subjective. Given the importance of consumer decision-makingon the overall choice to buy or not buy a vehicle, there is a need forobjectivity – both in the target-setting phase as well as in the testing andevaluation phase, of today’s infotainment and telematics systems. This studyprovides that objectivity.”

DGE, an FEV company, has combined its extensive developmentand testing expertise in the connected vehicle space with the provenbenchmarking methods of FEV.  This effortcreated the first known application of an independent and quantitativebenchmarking evaluation of infotainment and telematics systems in the NorthAmerican market.

The study was released at the Consumer Electronics Showin Las Vegas in January, and the results were profound in the sense that highlyunanticipated conclusions were drawn. When shown to Tier suppliers and OE customers, the benchmarking studygenerated a significant reaction. According to one customer, “This is the first quantitativeperformance information we have seen for telematics functionality.  That is exactly what we need to assess ourown system, and to set targets for our own development.”

This newly developed service offering from DGE/FEV notonly allows an OEM or Tier supplier to quantitatively compare its system withcompetitors on an attribute-by-attribute basis, but, because the evaluationstrategy is objective, it provides useful information about how muchimprovement is necessary, in each attribute area, to become best-in-class.

To illustrate the results, DGE/FEV have included two dataplots that provide examples of two attributes, shown for four differentvehicles that clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of an objectivebenchmarking study. They also demonstrate two interesting findings of thebenchmarking study – 1) one should not expect that performance improves forsystems in more expensive vehicle platforms, i.e., no or poor correlationbetween performance and price, and 2) there are, in many cases, large andsignificant differences in performance between vehicle systems.

About DGE

Founded in 1984, DGE develops hardware and software forautomotive control modules and automated test systems. Its capabilities alsoinclude the validation and testing for components and connected vehicle systemsthat must stand up to the rigors of daily use in vehicles. For the infotainmentand telematics space, DGE develops applications for intelligent vehicles thatcan communicate beyond in-vehicle systems, including infotainment systems thatconnect with external devices such as iPods and smart phones, and applicationsthat interface with smart traffic intersections as part of the IntelligentTransportation System.

About FEV

The FEV Group is an internationally recognized powertrainand advanced vehicle systems company that supplies the global transportationindustry.  FEV offers a complete range ofengineering services, providing support across the globe to customers in thedesign, analysis, prototyping, powertrain and transmission development, as wellas vehicle integration, calibration and homologation for advanced internalcombustion gasoline-, diesel-, and alternative-fueled powertrains. FEV alsodesigns, develops and prototypes advanced vehicle / powertrain electroniccontrol systems and hybrid-electric engine concepts that address futureemission and fuel economy standards.  TheFEV Test Systems division is a global supplier of advanced test cell,instrumentation and test equipment.  TheFEV Group employs a staff of over 2,800 highly skilled specialists at advancedtechnical centers on three continents. FEV North America, Inc. employs over 400 personnel in its North AmericanTechnical Center in Auburn Hills, MI.