Kahu by Spireon Transforms Any Car into a Connected Car, Provides New Revenue Stream for Car Dealers

Kahu is the Industry’s First Connected Car Service Offered Exclusively through Used Car Dealers

Kahu

IRVINE, Calif., December 01, 2015 –Spireon Inc., the nation’s largest and most trusted aftermarket Connected Vehicle company with over 2.5 million connected vehicles on the road, today debuts Kahu, a new service sold exclusively through used car dealers to offer customers a simple way to link their vehicle to their smartphone and interact with their car after purchasing.

While many new vehicles from manufacturers include Connected Car features, Kahu gives any car dealer or buyers a service that adds smart features to any car. According to a recent national survey by Wakefield Research, commissioned by Spireon, nearly 70 percent of consumers stated that they would prefer to purchase Connected Car features for their car directly at the dealership as opposed to purchasing after the car dealership.1

The Kahu service includes an installed device on the car that connects with the car’s location and trip data and then relays all of that information to a user’s smartphone app. The Kahu app then displays valuable information in real-time, providing access to theft recovery services, driving alerts and more.

“With over 2.5 million connected vehicles on the road today, Spireon offers the broadest open Connected Vehicle service available today,” said Shawn Hansen, Spireon’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Kahu is the first aftermarket connected vehicle service available exclusively from car dealers. The thousands of car dealers that use GoldStar GPS for collateral and lot management can easily add Kahu to increase profits, as well as help any car buyer connect their car to the Internet.”

While most Connected Car services offered today rely on the user connecting a device into a car’s onboard diagnostics port (OBD-II), which can be easily removed by a thief and sometimes voids car manufacturer warranties, the Kahu device is professionally installed by the car dealer, streamlining the setup process so that consumers simply download the app and connect their smartphone to their car without the hassle of complicated setup.

Kahu For Car Dealers

GPS tracking technology is surging in popularity among car dealerships, which are using it for lot management, stolen vehicle recovery and more. Recent data from the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) reveals that over 45 percent of surveyed used car dealers currently use GPS devices to track and manage their vehicle inventory2.

With Kahu, car dealers partner with Spireon for a one-time install of the GPS tracking device to use for their collateral and inventory management, and once the car is purchased the dealers can add-on the Kahu mobile app service for the car buyer, connecting them to the already-installed GPS tracking device. The GPS tracking solution cost is more than covered once the Kahu service add-on is sold.

“With over 2.5 million connected vehicles on the road today, Spireon offers the broadest open Connected Vehicle service available today”

Shawn Hansen, Spireon’s Chief Marketing Officer

In addition to an entirely new revenue stream in selling Kahu as an add-on service, Kahu allows car dealers to deliver a more modern car buying and owning experience for their customers.

Kahu For Consumers

Unlike alternatives, car owners do not need to be technology experts to install and enjoy the benefits of a Connected Car experience. After a few simple setup steps, Kahu’s intuitive mobile app design enables anyone to easily enjoy a connected car experience.

Once the car is connected and the app is downloaded, Kahu provides:

  • 24/7 Vehicle Location – The Kahu service is always-on, providing quick access to vehicle location through the mobile app so that you know where your car and family is at all times.
  • Theft Recovery – Kahu helps immediately locate your vehicle in the event that it is stolen and can even alert local police authorities. With this feature the average recovery time of a stolen vehicle is 26 minutes.
  • Smart Alerts – Kahu provides notifications for several driving features, including a geofencing feature, allowing users to enter a location, indicate a geographic boundary around it and then receive an alert if the car crosses that boundary. Alerts can also be set for specific speed limits or issues such as low battery.
  • Insurance Discounts – Users can save up to 25% on insurance premiums that offer discounts for cars with theft recovery devices installed.

About Spireon

Spireon, Inc. is the industry’s leading open connected vehicle company, providing businesses and consumers with powerful Big Data insights to track, manage and protect their most valuable assets. The award-winning Spireon NSpire open platform delivers rich information from any GPS connected vehicle or asset, converting that information into actionable insight. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Spireon’s open connected vehicle platform now supports more than 3 million active subscribers across the company’s growing suite of product offerings for new and used car dealers, lenders and financial institutions, rental car agencies, insurers, consumers, and fleet, trailer and asset management companies.

1 Source: Survey by Wakefield Research, commissioned by Spireon, Inc. November 2015.
2 Source: National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA), 2014 Used Car Industry Report

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