Harman said it will start measuring car radio feature usage.
Teaming with JD Power, it will measure, for example, how many people have used Bluetooth pairing on their radio. And it can measure usage of other radio features and consumer preferences. This information is then made available to car companies so they can make improvements and provide better training at the dealer level to consumers.
There is also aftermarket potential for this new Harman/JD Power capability. While the current focus is on OEMs, a Harman spokesperson said, “Yes, this application could be applied to aftermarket products as well. Harman can measure data from an OEM head unit and/or using a dedicated OBD2 dongle.”
Harman already offers a program called Harman Ignite, a cloud solution that “enables a unique view into driver usage patterns, and when combined with JD Power consumer data, will provide functional-level insights into how consumers are interacting with the systems and what they may want from the in-car experience. With this service, OEMs and suppliers can identify areas that can be improved and ultimately bring desired features and functions to market faster,” it said.
Sanjay Dhawan, President, Harman’s Chief Technology Officer said, “JD Power has the most thorough understanding of automotive consumer satisfaction of any company in the industry. With Harman’s connected car, software and integration expertise, we are set to realize the exciting potential of connected cars, including enhanced safety, greater performance and more immersive and personalized experiences.”
Data will only be collected from consumers who opt in to the program. And this data will be collected anonymously to protect consumer privacy, said Harman.
Samsung Electronics announced the purchase of Harman close to two years ago.
