(DriveSynch 5 as seen on a mobile device. Image source: IMS.)

Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. (IMS; Waterloo, Ontario) has announced a major upgrade to its DriveSync connected car platform, now in version 5. The vendor characterizes the upgrade as the culmination of years of research and development, introducing new innovations that address common industry challenges facing insurers around competitive differentiation, policyholder retention and program economics.

“DriveSync 5 enables customization without sacrificing speed to market; introduces engaging customer experiences that help ensure retention; and provides cost savings and increased value that further justify the business case for UBI,” according to a vendor statement.

IMS reports that DriveSync 5 represents a platform upgrade with 12 major enhancements, as well as many system and back-end updates. Among the most significant enhancements, based on customer feedback and other aspects of research preceding the launch of version 5 are the following, according to the vendor:

Secondary Driver Support: Enables the addition of a secondary driver to the UBI policy, and the ability for policyholders to view the driving data of those drivers to help coach and improve driving behavior. This capability empowers insurers to design differentiated programs for multi-driver families, new drivers and car sharing.

Intelligent Detection of Drivers and Transportation Modes: Automatically determines who the driver is and, for mobile-based programs, whether the trip was taken in an insured vehicle or on public transportation. This feature intelligently engages the policyholder with the correct coaching and feedback.

Bluetooth-based OBD Device Support: Provides insurers with the richness of OBD data while leveraging the policyholder’s smartphone for connectivity. This offers insurers a cost-optimized experience with direct access to vehicle data.

Bluetooth Assist: Intelligently identifies vehicles and improves trip start and trip end accuracy using the existing Bluetooth system. This functionality eliminates the cost of additional hardware by leveraging in-vehicle systems to infer which vehicle is being used.

API Integration: Provides insurers the ability to create a custom UBI solution, enhance an existing solution or integrate UBI into their existing product through IMS’ suite of APIs and interfaces for rapid deployment to market.

“Our customers expect IMS to be an innovation leader, providing solutions to the challenges they face”, comments Otman Basir, president and CEO of IMS. “DriveSync 5 takes program differentiation, policyholder engagement and program value to the next level – giving our customers the best in usage-based insurance and connected car services.”

IMS reports that additional DriveSync 5 enhancements include new scoring options, simplified enrollment, intelligent push notifications, mobile analytics, and driver leaderboards.