The CES 2011 in Las Vegas is right behind us by the time I post this. As usual the major consumer electronics brands try playing their major trump cards just before and during the event leading invariably to over-inflated promises and rosy pictures of how electronics will shape or change our lives.

However what, as always, should we really be taking away from a show like this? It's clear that ever more electronics will be present in our lives. Each new equipment, gadget, appliance, machinery, in short anything that needs a few volts to run will become more powerful and more connected. And actually that last bit is what will ultimately add the most value. Not convinced? Here are a few examples to help you change your mind.

For a while now iconmobile has been involved in delivering concept cars through its automotive arm, icon incar. The first prototype, a somewhat clunky but nicely designed touchscreen phone for Audi, presented in 2007 during the Tokyo auto show, was not received as a game changer. But having been involved in concepts like this has helped us create a vision on how mobile devices can add value to cars today and in the near future.

Our ideas have evolved over time, which is in turn reflected in our outlook today. Where we first thought that a dedicated mobile device for a car would be a good idea we quickly realized, with the client, that producing smart phones is not the core business of a car maker. So we switched to applications installed on smartphones, a concept that got an extra boost thanks to the quickly rising popularity of iPhone and Android devices.

This has led us to develop the Augmented Service Offering (ASO) concept. ASO concepts combine the interactive and connected features of mobile devices with products and services of brands. Nike has been one of the forerunners (no pun intended) of this type of concept, connecting the iPod with their running shoes, allowing users to share their training results. The ASO concept is also very relevant in the context of the automotive industry.

So how do you translate the ASO concept to an app for a car? The application as the car-key and a 'take me back to where I parked my car' feature seem like logical ideas but they remain fairly one-dimensional. We kept rethinking the concept, knowing that there must be more value that an app can add to driving a car. In various meetings and working on a number of projects we have come to realized that the electric car is the perfect platform to really make an app shine.

The elements in the mix are the following:
electric cars have limited reach
it takes time to charge batteries
charging points are sparse and not always nearby
traffic conditions can wreak havoc on your reach
So here is where a mobile application comes in. An application that has access to the car data, such as battery charge and estimated reach, can combine this with traffic information, weather conditions and the location of charging points such as home, office, dedicated parking areas and gas stations.

Combining this information the app can help you decide at home whether you charge more before you leave or whether you would be able to reach the office, given the traffic conditions e.g.

There are numerous reasons for making this type of car management available on your mobile. You carry the device with you all the time, and once you have left the car you have the data with you and can work out on the app what to do next. For the car manufacturer this means that the app can evolve with the car and with the users.

But this is not all. Let's go back to the CES and the apparent rise of connected equipment. Take your fridge e.g. Up until now this has been nothing more than a big box, often white, that you would plug into a power outlet and that was it.

But the latest generations have a touch screen and internet. Why would you browse the web on a fridge I hear you think? The kitchen is for cooking right? True, and the fridge is for storing things. Things that you run out of and want to replace. Now what about creating a shopping list on the touch screen on your fridge. What about having this list available on your mobile phone, via the web, so that wherever you go you know what you'd need to buy. What about having that list available in your car so that the app can plan the best route?
Even better: what about having the order of your shopping optimized for the supermarket's floor plan. I am sure you have, just like me, used strong language when arriving at the check-out only to discover that there is 'onions' at the end of your list, which are in the vegetable department at the complete other end of the supermarket...

Too good to be true? Don't think so. Things are developing at the speed of light in this space. Your fridge calling your car? Your car on Facebook? Watch this space for the latest and greatest in this area of Augmented Service Offerings.

Matthieu Vermeulen – Managing Director