Ratingen, Germany -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/03/2014 --7Layers, as a partner in the Telematics Initiative NRW, presents an integrated test concept for a telematics demonstrator

On 22nd August, the Telematics Initiative of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), in which 7Layers plays an active role as the test specialist, presented an innovative demonstrator that will help upcoming Smart Services providers to set up telematics services in a straightforward and secure way.

The “IKT.NRW 2.Cal“ has been sponsored by the European Union as part of the EU Regional Development Fund’s Objective 2 Program 2007-2013. The IKT.NRW 2.Cal Telematics Initiative of North Rhine-Westphalia (TINRW) formed a consortium consisting of the Ruhr University, Bochum, and the companies escrypt GmbH, Materna GmbH and m&b consulting GmbH together with the wireless and Smart Services testing specialist 7Layers AG. During last week’s closing event, the TINRW consortium successfully presented its demonstrator to the NRW Bank, the University of Bochum as well as to the project participants and other interested parties.

USERS OF THE TELEMATIC PLATFORM

The consortium introduced an open services platform that can be deployed for a variety of Smart Telematics Services in a straightforward and secure fashion. Motorists will be enabled to contact roadside equipment and the telematics data platform anonymously via wireless devices, so that both the service delivery and the billing process run correctly and securely. The telematics platform is geared to enabling small or mid-sized Smart Services providers to market a reliable service concept with little effort and without having to acquire detailed technology know-how.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE TELEMATICS PLATFORM

For the purpose of the presentation, the developers focused on Smart Parking concepts.

The telematics platform is however open to a diversity of different applications, such as fleet management, pay-as-you-drive applications, mobile automotive payment concepts etc. It allows drivers to use a wireless device or other onboard equipment compatible to the telematics platform for a variety of Smart Services. As data security aspects are a crucial factor for the success or failure of a Smart Services business proposition, the platform must ensure the anonymity of users’ identities up to the point of billing.

TESTING A SMART SERVICES TELEMATICS PLATFORM

The successful and secure introduction of Smart Services requires strict adherence to the principles of reliable connectivity, interoperability, data security, accountability and service quality. In order to visualize the complexities of Smart Services processes, 7Layers, a leading specialist in testing wireless communications devices and processes, has developed the SODA model to illustrate the stakeholders, the connected devices, the applications and interactions between all the parties involved in a Smart Services process. This visualization makes it easier to understand the flexible test environment 7Layers is using.

Simulated service processes or prototypes as well as real-life situations are being used to test the process elements, the connected devices and the platform itself, both independently as well as in combination with each other. This enables the systematic verification of essential requirements such as connectivity, data security, accountability and quality of service for all use cases relating to a Smart Services process together with all its integrated connected devices.

“To prepare for such a test process, it is necessary to transform the specifications for the initially developed telematics services (Smart Parking in this case) into test specifications and test cases. These then become part of a test environment that creates, manages and updates the required test plans and tests”, explains Angela Spielberg, consultant at 7Layers AG. “Whenever possible, 7Layers uses official test specifications for this purpose. However, these do not provide adequate “end-to-end” cover for the entire Smart Services test process. Based on our extensive experience, we develop proprietary requirements and test specifications which can be used to test current and planned end-to-end Smart Services processes.”

As this test concept is an integral part of the TINRW open telematics services platform, it is much easier to keep the requirements, test plans and test cases up-to-date than with conventional methods. This enables 7Layers to provide consistent monitoring of connectivity, interoperability, data security, and service quality throughout the entire Smart Services lifecycle.

http://www.7layers.com/industries/smart-services-iot-internet-of-things

About 7Layers
7Layers is an international group of engineering & test centers and a specialist in wireless technologies, offering services and products that support the set-up and maintenance of Smart Services, which play an important role in the Internet of Things.

7Layers supports stakeholders in Smart Services processes, such as manufacturers and suppliers of connected devices, wireless component manufacturers, network operators, Smart Services service providers, data platform providers and the service delivery actions. To describe the set-up and continuous monitoring tasks necessary to maintain Smart Services processes, 7Layers uses its SODA model which depicts smart services in terms of a dynamic “circular” process.