?

If you think telematics is a mature technology, you may be rightor wrong. Down the road, the insurance industry might try driving it to new heights.

Would you call telematics an emerging or mature technology? OnStar (with 2.5 million users) and ATX Technologies (with 400,000 subscribers) are the major telematic service providers in the U.S. market. I have the ATX technology in my car. It combines an onboard GPS system, an analog cellular phone, and some very interesting interfaces to installed equipment. Most readers are familiar with the obvious services these systems offer: the ability to track stolen vehicles, receive driving directions from a live operator, and determine where your teenager (or spouse) really is. Some of the services are safety related. For instance, a sensor in a deployed air bag tells the system to dial the service center with the vehicle location. The operator then comes online without any driver intervention: Mr. Rolich, we have a report you have been involved in an accident on Oglethorpe Pike. We already have notified the local police department. Do you require any other assistance? As another example, engine vital signs and diagnostics can be transmitted to a service center that will then contact drivers to advise them of a potential problem before a breakdown occurs.