Live Blog Update—Awards at TU Detroit

Ryan Seacrest is hard to top. Last year at Telematics Detroit, the world-famous music host and producer handed out the TU Awards Show’s final award, urging the crowd with his familiar American Idol zest to “Dim the lights, and here we go!”

This year there was no Ryan, nor any other A-lister in his place, but the event didn’t lack for excitement. Xboxes were given away, tickets to concerts were hidden under chairs, and attendees were ushered into a room complete with a string ensemble playing ballades by the Beatles.

Of course, as always the real show centered around the awards and the more than 200 thought leaders in the telematics space who were here contending for them. Thilo Koslowski, VP & Lead Automotive Analyst at Gartner, played host and reminded the audience that these awards have been going on for more than a decade and that, in that time, the telematics industry has blossomed around them.

“In the early days OnStar won every award,” he quipped. These days, there are many more contenders. Specifically, more than 400 worthy organizations and individuals put forth solutions for contention in 2012. Of those, roughly 50 were selected by a panel of expert judges as finalists, and 10 were awarded as winners. The list of winners unfolded as follows:

Best Aftermarket Device or Solution Award: OnStar

Best Automotive Application Award: Airbiquity

Best Navigation Solution or Product Award: Telenav

Best Telematics Content Aggregator Award: TuneIn

Best Telematics Safety & Security Solution Award (Duplicate Winners): Mobileye & OnStar

Best Telematics Service or Solution for Commercial Vehicle Award: Networkfleet

Best Telematics Service Provider Award: Hughes Telematics

Global OEM Infotainment Solutions Award: Audi

2011/12 Industry Newcomer Award: UIEvolution

Telematics Leadership Award (Duplicate Winners): Doug VanDagens, Director, Connected Service Solutions, Ford Motor Company & Johann Jungwirth, President & CEO, Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc.

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