Telematics Detroit 2011: Toyota aims to balance fundamentals and fun in the car

NOVI, Mich. — Toyota Motor Corp.’s (TM) man in charge of telematics, basically all things tech in a vehicle, offered some insights into the car maker’s strategy for automotive apps here at Telematics Detroit 2011.
Jim Pisz, corporate manager of advanced technology at Toyota, gave a presentation on what he called “the art and science of building automotive applications.”
Pisz has been in the telematics business for more than a decade, getting his start in a little corner of the department. “But now telematics groups have game-changing opportunity,” he said. Pisz encouraged attendees to strive to develop products and services that can be incorporated into customers’ DNA.
Applications in the car need to enhance the drive time and not infringe on the idea of the car as an oasis, he said. Pisz sees a balancing act between application fundamentals and the need for personalization.
The fundamentals include easy and seamless upgrades, a familiar look and feel, a platform and service that is always current and it should be something that enables safe driving behavior, he said. Areas of personalization include entertainment options, real-time destination information and mobile commerce.
Application selection and governance is incredibly important as well, he added. There are various sets of criteria that car makers have to fulfill, ranging from technical parameters and business models to customer feedback, fun and function and partner brand value.
“In today’s world, connectivity is becoming more important,” Pisz said. “We can remove an app and replace it with an over-the-air update.”
Toyota Entune, announced at the beginning of the year, marks the company’s first entry into the apps space. The infotainment center will debut in September.