Preface
Three years ago, Telematics was rarely known in China, but now it has become a hot topic in the industry. GM OnStar and Toyota G-Book will launch Telematics services in China next year. Just like other mainstream auto brands, the two players can do well in auto manufacturing and sales. However, when it comes to provide Telematics services in China, it is a different case. Just like boxing champion Muhammad Ali bolding to come to China for martial arts competition – the  game rules and play tactics are totally different. To promote the services in a new market, automakers have to seek  local partners, and they often face a lot of challenges about new business models and new service demands derived from different state conditions. While the world is watching the two players’ Telematics move in China, BMW launches NGTP – an open Telematics protocol and Telematics framework – to try to handle tough problems and has aroused an industry wide interest. Axel Möring from BMW who leads NGTP has confirmed the NaviForum invitation to give a speech at the fifth NaviForum Shanghai. He also made time to accept the interview from NaviForum and talked over NGTP of industry attention. The contents of the interview are issued on NaviForum Newsletter in twice and here is the second part.
Several other authoritative experts in the industry, including Thilo Koslowski, VP and Lead Automotive Analyst of Gartner, have also confirmed to be speakers at NaviForum and would like to accept NaviForum interviews. The interviews with them will be issued soon.

Axel Möring is Senior Engineering Project Manager for Telematics Business Development at BMW AG, the leading innovative automotive company. Mr. Moering leads the NGTP project for BMW, Connexis and WirelessCar.
Mr. Möring, German graduate electrotechnical engineer has a 10 years experience in Telematics development. He is steering the Telematics engineering development at BMW and manages the international roll-out of BMW ConnectedDrive Telematics services. In parallel to his managing functions Mr. Moering is also deeply involved in university projects for Telematics studies.

NaviForum: Mobile operators play an important role in Telematics services. The two large mobile operators in China are also the two largest in the world. Does NGTP have different meaning for GSM and CDMA based mobile operators? 
Axel Möring: Absolutely not. There is no difference since NGTP has no reflection to the mobile carrier's technology. It is up to the OEM to decide which bearer to use for enabling the Telematics services in the car, means the mobile operator has to be considered for the hardware choice not for the Telematics back-end infrastructure.

NaviForum: What are TCU suppliers’ attitudes to NGTP? By now, how many TCU suppliers have shown support to NGTP? 
Axel Möring: Assuming that NGTP becomes a de-facto standard the advantages for the TCU supplier is obvious: Today we have different protocols in use for different OEMS and therefore the TCU supplier has to support as many different back-end connections as he has different OEMs. With NGTP protocol there is one common protocol - the same for every OEM costumer - and there is only one connection to support, this is the connection between the car and the dispatcher component, the so called "core component" in the NGTP infrastructure. That makes the business for the TCU supplier much easier.
Currently we already have two TCU supplier committed to NGTP - related to the short time period since the launch in January 2008 compared with the long development cycles in automotive industry this is one part of the great success of NGTP.

NaviForum: What are the benefits to drivers if NGTP? When will NGTP be put into official commercial use? What’s new of NGTP? 
Axel Möring: The driver - our customer - is always the focus of all our activities. Compared with the short lifecycles in the mobile world the Telematics applications in the car have to support a much longer lifecycle. The customer's basic interest is to get the service he likes, regardless if this service is provided by his mobile phone or his car. Considering the driver's distraction when using a mobile phone while driving it is always necessary to integrate the services the customer needs in his car environment. Having in mind that BMW ConnectedDrive's philosophy is to connect the driver with his car and the environment we are supporting the customer's services at the Telematics back-end, which is efficient, fast and convenient to the customer.
NGTP is currently under implementation in the successor platform of our current TCU and will be launched in the near future.
NGTP is about to get the first update. With implementing it in a real productive environment on both sides at the car and at the back-end we have detailed the protocol and the new version will be available on our website http://www.ngtp.org soon.