Volvo Car Group (Volvo Cars) has selected Ericsson to provide the industrialized Ericsson Connected Vehicle Cloud (CVC) platform to enable its digital vehicle services in more than 120 markets worldwide for the next five years. The deal—which will enable Volvo Cars to provide car owners and drivers with its latest developments in connected car digital services such as automation, fleet management, telematics, navigation, and infotainment—is the largest to date for Ericsson Connected Vehicle Cloud.

In other 5G news, the ETSI group on Next Generation Protocol (ISG NGP) released a new specification and reports to optimize the performance, efficiency, and scalability of new services proposed for 5G, such as network slicing or ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC).

IoT

In the first trial of its kind in Europe, Vodafone Group successfully demonstrated how mobile networks could support the European’s Commission’s vision of safe long-distance drone flights. Drone flights could complete a range of tasks, including delivering medical supplies, monitoring energy pipelines, and undertaking rescue missions in hazardous conditions. The regulated drone services industry could be big business, forecasted to potentially contribute in excess of 100,000 new jobs and €15 billion annually to the European economy by 2050.

Vodafone’s news wasn’t the only drone news. Nokia and Smart Communications unveiled a new collaboration with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to bring innovative technology like LTE-connected drones and a portable network into areas struck by disaster. The companies shared the news at a training center in Subic Bay, Philippines at an event that also served as the inauguration of the nonprofit Nokia Saving Lives (NSL) solution. The Philippine Red Cross will be deploying the NSL solution in its toolkit for demanding search and rescue initiatives.

Customer Experience

In news that bridges CX and IoT, customer experience and smart home evolution took a giant leap forward this month. At ConneXions 2018, Calix, Inc. launched the world’s first powerful, end-to-end smart home solution for communications service providers. The Calix Smart Home and Business solution is the only Wi-Fi 6, Amazon Alexa built-in smart home system powered by EXOS and supported by Calix Cloud. US-based ALLO will elevate the subscriber experience with the Calix Smart Home and Business solution. It’s actively testing the new Calix GigaSpire™.

Pairing proven CRM with powerful marketing automation, the newly available next-gen Act! CRM will help small and mid-sized businesses grow. Swiftpage, Act! CRM’s provider, announced the next generation release this month. The software is available in English in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Two notable acquisitions this month revolved around the potential for machine learning and automation. MYCOM OSI, the leading independent provider of assurance, automation, and analytics solutions to large CSPs, has been acquired by the leading private equity firm Inflexion. The acquisition will fuel MYCOM OSI’s growth and support IoT, 5G, and AI development in a transforming market. SAP has acquired Contextor SAS, a European leader in the design and integration of robotic process automation. The acquisition of Contextor will help accelerate the development and expansion of SAP’s Leonardo Machine Learning portfolio.

WISPAPALOOZA

The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), a trade organization dedicated to advancement of entrepreneurs and innovators deploying fixed wireless technologies in their communities, held its annual fall conference located at the Rio All Suites Hotel, October 8-12 2018.

Kicking off this year’s record-breaking event was WISPA’s new president and CEO Claude Aiken’s addressing members on broadband and spectrum challenges and a message from Federal Communication Commission’s Chairman Ajit Pai on the Connect America Round II funding’s stating “these funds will be a positive impact for operators in underserved areas”.