Enterprise Holdings has announced a partnership with Microsoft to bring connected car technology to Enterprise’s car rental, commercial and fleet vehicles in the UK as well as the US and Canada.
As many as 350,000 vehicles are set to be connected in the U.S. by the end of 2021 with a fully connected fleet targeted in next five years
Enterprise has already implemented this technology for hundreds of thousands of vehicles with as many as 350,000 vehicles set to be connected by the end of the year. Long term, Enterprise is positioned to fully convert its fleet to connected vehicles over the next five years.
The company is using Microsoft’s analytics technologies to gain insights from connected vehicle data that its fleet of vehicles generate. This process ultimately streamlines the rental process for consumers while creating efficiencies within the business.
“Consumers want a more streamlined car rental experience, and our manufacturer partners are looking for more information about how our vehicles are performing,” said Shane Behl, Vice President Information Technology for Enterprise Holdings. “As we approach 350,000 connected vehicles in the U.S. by year’s end, we are not only looking at growing that number, but also exploring and enhancing the additional capabilities a connected fleet can offer with an emphasis on improving the customer experience, as well as the operational efficiencies it offers.”
A leader in ground transportation and mobility, Enterprise Holdings continues to invest in technology research and development, with a focus on removing friction from customer transactions. Connected car technology enhances the overall customer experience through streamlining tasks like checking fuel levels and odometer readings and improving the check in and checkout processes.
Connected cars also give Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Enterprise more information about a vehicle. Through on-board sensors, connected cars have the technology to share specified vehicle information to Enterprise’s systems – streamlining communications with connected vehicles from its OEM partners.
“Advances in digital technology are redefining every aspect of our work and life, including transportation and travel experiences,” said Kelly Rogan, CVP Strategy & Operations, Customer and Partner Solutions, Microsoft. “We are pleased about the collaboration with Enterprise, benefitting from the power of Microsoft Azure, to help them scale their connected fleet of vehicles, and ultimately advancing the streamlined rental experience of the future.”
Enterprise Holdings, which owns the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands, is making the connected technology available in its vehicles throughout the U.S., and will soon further expand the effort to the U.K. and Canada.
