Targasys Infomobility Services Success Story

In 1996, Targasys, a division of the Fiat Auto Group, started answering the mobility needs of companies and the public through Targa Connect services. Through Targa Connect, drivers receive traffic information, travel routes (via satellite navigation system), find train schedules and theater showtimes, arrange a hotel stay, make restaurant reservations, purchase an airline ticket, and locate museums, pharmacies, ATM machines and gas stations. Users can also access the weather in addition to local and world news. Moreover, it is possible to request medical assistance, send flowers, request roadside assistance, and consult the Yellow Pages of any country in the world. The Targasys services can be purchased together with the mobile telephone or directly from the mobile service provider. The services can also be downloaded, configured, and updated using Targa Connect's Web site. At the backbone of Targasys' innovative services are two Sun Enterprise10000 servers, working in clusters along with six Sun FireV880 servers and 15 Netraservers for its Web infrastructure. All the Sun servers are running the SolarisOperating Environment, one of the industry leading client-server operating environments. At the core of Targasys' services and applications is Sun' s Java and Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE"!) technology. On the customer side — the telematic devices, mobile phones, and PDAs — Sun's J2ME technology and Java Telematics Technology (J2ME-JTT) are deployed. J2ME-JTT was specially developed by Sun for the telematic applications and is based on an international standard (such as OSGi). In addition, J2ME-CLDC/MIDP (Mobile Information Device Profile) is being used for consumer devices, including mobile phones and PDAs.

In 1996, Targasys, a division of the Fiat Auto Group, started answering the mobility needs of companies as well as those of the general public. Currently available in eleven European countries, Targasys is the first provider to offer infomobility services. Wanting to offer its services to the automobile industry, Targasys created a specific business unit, Targa Connect, to offer today's commuters special services such as remote navigation and other useful information.

The interaction with the customers goes through a contact center, where Connect ensures the availability of an operator 365 days per year, 24 hours a day. The services are activated on the dashboard of the cars, on the GSM mobiles, "intelligent" mobile GPRS phones and on PDA's.

Targa Connect was initially launched in the Alfa Romeo and is now available on all new models made by the Fiat Group (Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati). Targasys also offers its solutions and infomobility services to other European car manufacturers, who in turn, offer the infomobility services in their cars under a different name.

Targa Connect is the integrated package of Targasys' telematic services for infomobility. With this service, a driver can simply press a button on the dashboard and connect to the contact center in Arese (Milan) and request information in the users language of choice. The contact center immediately recognizes the geographical position of the car through the global positioning system (GPS) and provides real-time information and assistance. The "Follow me" feature included in Targa Connect, allows you to receive on your screen, instant messages updating you of any changes in road conditions.

Through Targa Connect services, a driver can receive updated traffic information, recommended travel routes (through the satellite navigation system), place hotel, restaurant, or airline reservations — as well as pay for them with a credit card, receive information on train and theater times, and locate museums, pharmacies, ATM machines and gas stations. Users can also access the weather in addition to local and world news. Moreover, it is possible to request medical assistance, send flowers, request roadside assistance, and consult the Yellow Pages of any country in the world.

Through an agreement with TIM and other European mobile providers, the infomobility services are available on GSM mobile phones. Information is received via cellular phone by either voice or SMS. The diffusion of these services in this way opens itself to a wide mass market, providing customers the freedom to receive information they need, anytime, anywhere.

Recently, Targasys expanded its services to personal devices, such as PDAs and " intelligent" new generation mobile phones. Using GPRS mobile phones based on Java2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME"!) technology, users are provided a wider screen, graphics and interactive mapping capabilities. With the enhanced features, users can view a specific stock exchange quotation or traffic situation in a specific area.

The Targasys services can be purchased together with the mobile telephone or directly from the mobile service provider. The services can also be downloaded, configured, and updated using Targa Connect's Web site.

The Sun technology behind the Targasys services

At the backbone of Targasys' innovative services are two Sun Enterprise10000 servers, working in clusters along with six Sun Fire"! V880 servers and 15 Netraservers for its Web infrastructure. All the Sun servers are running the SolarisOperating Environment, one of the industry leading client-server operating environments.

At the core of Targasys' services and applications is Sun' s Java and Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE"!) technology. On the customer side—the telematic devices, mobile phones, and PDAs — Sun' s J2ME technology and Java Telematics Technology (J2ME-JTT) are deployed. J2ME-JTT was specially developed by Sun for the telematic applications and is based on an international standard (such as OSGi). In addition, J2ME-CLDC/MIDP (Mobile Information Device Profile) is being used for consumer devices, including mobile phones and PDAs.

"For Targasys, Sun's Java technology is the ideal solution. Java technology enables us to provide innovative infomobility services that are highly reliable on a wide range of devices — in the car, on mobile phones, and PDAs," says Edoardo Coletti, Targasys' infomobility manager. "With Java technology, Targasys and its partners can easily develop new services and applications. In addition, it can dynamically update services and related contents, without interruption. Java technology's open architecture enables future expansion of services on a wide range of telematic and mobile devices, independent of their producer, and allows for services created by other providers, leading to new users."

On board vehicle telematics is still an unexplored sector, requiring a high level of safety and reliability for the whole life cycle of the car. In addition, it is a technically, engineered solution and must be strong and flexible to meet the needs of this sector.

The car as a new mobile mode in the network

Sun's Java Telematics Technology (JTT) helps provide telematic services to "new generation" cars and their passengers and updates them during the vehicle's lifecycle (six to eight years). JTT works in a combined J2ME and J2EE technology environment, which allows for further development, updating and handling of all services — from information to navigation, and remote diagnosis to mobile commerce. It is composed of application development instruments, an integrated set of client software for the handling of on-board telematic devices, and software components for the handling and supply of the services by the server, independent of the wireless network used and of the devices on-board the vehicle.

In the sphere of the JTT project, Targasys' partnership with Sun Microsystems is a tight collaboration concerning the definition of the specifics and their concrete realization. "As a strategic partner of Targasys, Sun was selected for its in-depth technologic know-how, 'anticipating vision,' and open and innovative architectural choices, which we at Targasys share," says Coletti. "With the help of Sun technology, we are pioneers of the infomobility services in Europe, enabling us to offer dynamic new generation services for both the automotive and mobile device sectors, giving us a real competitive advantage in today' s market."