Telematics is a system that gathers data from the operation of a vehicle and transmits that data wirelessly to a receiver. Telematics may be implemented using short-range communications, such as a racecar transmitting information to its pit crew or via the cellular data network, as when a consumer vehicle sends information to its manufacturer. Telematics transmits GPS data for location services, vehicle condition information from the electronic control unit, and other vehicle-specific details to a central server. The data are interpreted to dispatch relevant messages to the vehicle’s operator. For example, the telematics system may communicate an approaching service deadline to the server. The server can pinpoint the vehicle’s location and send a message to the driver about the nearest dealer where technicians can perform services.
