Mahindra’s new digital platform ‘Digisense’ unveiled
Mahindra announced an all-new digital platform called Digisense for its commercial vehicles, including tractors, goods carriers and construction vehicles. Private vehicles are expected to be equipped with the same technology in the near future, replacing the existing Bluesense package that has been doing duty in Mahindra’s current line-up.
Developed in collaboration with Vodafone, Bosch and Tech Mahindra, Digisense is a technology that has been implemented using an electronic control unit that sends data to Mahindra’s cloud-based servers. Services include geo-fencing, that allows the user to restrict the limit the area of service, real-time tracking to allow users to track their vehicles, monitor the stops that the drivers take etc. When it comes to construction vehicles, the Digisense platform allows the user to monitor the health of the equipment, notify of service schedules and mainly, monitor the level of fuel to prevent theft, which is a big issue in the rural region. On commercial vehicles, there is also an option of remote diagnostics. The user can simply trigger a service call by logging on to the app or webpage and the vehicle can be diagnosed remotely.
The platform is based on an open architecture and Mahindra will be allowing for third-party applications to be added to it. The version 1.0 will be brought out in vehicles being sold from today and the option of Digisense will be offered to the customer. Expected to cost an additional of Rs 5,000-10,000, the technology would be accessible through an app which will be available on the Android Play Store and also on the webpage. As the platform is an integrated unit, it is not possible to implement it in existing vehicles. Initially, the service will be offered free cost, but the cloud services and data collection servers would cost Mahindra a hefty amount and hence, the users will have to shell out a premium after one year of service. Digisense will be updated over-the-air, jyst like how other regular apps are updated.
When asked about the security and privacy of the user’s data, Mr Pawan Goenka, Executive Director, Mahindra, said to evo India, “We totally respect our user’s privacy. All the data collected will be encrypted so that the chances of hacking and security theft are minimum. Also, all the legalities have been taken care of when it comes to a user’s data. All our data centres are based in India, so under legal circumstances, if the government asks us to release the data, we will.”
As the luxury carmakers move to digital platforms, it’s a great move by Mahindra to have implemented the service at the lower spectrum of the automobile industry. However, in India, the smartphone penetration has not been much, so we shall wait and watch how the platform will do in the future. Mahindra also exports commercial vehicles to developed countries such as USA and Japan where this service is expected to be welcomed.
