Telematics smartphone App
Global telematics services leader Octo Telematics has announced the launch of a new smartphone app that gives motorists the ability to track, score and improve their driving and riding behaviour, and delivers drivers with a qualified risk profile to its insurance partners.
Octo U is a free download for iPhones and Android smartphones that collects and store telematics data on the driving behavior of users without needing to install a device in their car, enabling more accurate risk profiles for insurance quotes by providing insurers with a detailed picture of the driver. The app provides consistent, impartial scoring of the user’s driving, specific to their driving environment.
Once downloaded and registered, including via social sign on, Octo U immediately starts collecting data about the driver’s trips. Octo U also has an auto start and auto stop feature, delivering automated trip functionality without the need for the user to start and stop the app.
Data is collected by the app and sent from the front end mobile device to the back end intelligence, which then analyses the trip in order to ensure the integrity and reliability of the scoring mechanism.
The app detects, reconstructs and analyses the events that occurred during the trip, such as harsh braking, rapid acceleration, speeding and cornering. Using a proprietary GPS-related algorithm Octo is able to calculate the G Force generated during driving events without the inherent corruption of non fixed accelerometer data. Octo U then assigns the trip a score.
Octo U is more accurate than similar apps owing to the accuracy of its algorithm, which is constantly learning and defines a more detailed picture of the driver the longer they are on the road.
Octo U’s proprietary calculus algorithm is also able to detect whether a trip is valid or not, and to reject it in the event that the user is travelling on a train or shuttle and thus not on a road . Users can also flag trips where they have been a passenger or riding on public transport.
It integrates the best external data sets available including Here Maps, IBM and the Weather Channel in order to provide the most complete driving scoring algorithm available on the market.
The mobile device collects the data according the specification of each model and the frequency of collection is configurable and set by default at the highest granularity possible. Octo U works with co processor and no co processor phones due to the strength of its algorithm
Octo U is also fully integrated with Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus so drivers can add ‘friends’ to their timeline, decide on who to follow and what to share, and set the privacy settings accordingly.
“Octo is aiming a lot higher than just delivering the best driving app on the market with Octo U” says Umberto Callegari, Head of Digital and Digital Strategy, Octo Telematics “We’re aiming to create a mobile platform able to link with the existing digital life of a user in order to enrich and dramatically improve the general driving experience, which is where many people spend a significant amount of their lives.”
“Apps like exercise monitors began the self-measurement trend and we’re applying this concept to give drivers better self-awareness about their road behaviour. By giving them a score we’re aiming to put control back into the hands of drivers.”
The app was launched at last weekend’s Octo British MotoGP™ at Silverstone, where Octo was the event’s title sponsor.
Octo U is available to download on Google Play, Apple app store and Amazon Kindle store from 28th August.
www.octou.com/
