What is a COW?

Aside from being our planet’s main source of best tasting milk and tender juicy meat, COW is also an acronym for Cell site On Wheels. These are vehicles that mobile networks dispatch to open fields or some other secluded place to increase network coverage (like during concerts and outdoor games). Cell sites are usually put in towers and other high rise structures to cover a wide area. COWs are placed in areas that are simply out of coverage.

So what does COW have to do with American auto maker Chrysler? Absolutely nothing.

What Chrysler brings to the table is much better. They are creating WOW – Wi-Fi on Wheels. At least that’s how we want to call it. The automobile manufacturer prefers to call it the UConnect Web system. Not much impact as WOW but whatever.

Chrysler is spearheading the innovation, getting in front of German auto maker BMW in the race to stick wireless internet access to your car’s dashboard. The project will be unveiled next week and will be available early next year. They are not alone in this mission; other makers are supporting the cause as well – with IT giant Microsoft backing up Chrysler to create a high standard to the hardware.

“It’s something everyone’s looking at,” says an auto industry analyst from Global Insight. He says that the project is a spill over of the Ford SYNC project, a factory-installed in-car communications and entertainment system developed for the auto maker by Microsoft. SYNC allows Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln owners to bring a number of supported portable digital music players and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones to their car and operate them using simple voice commands or thru a panel in the steering wheel or buttons with the radio controls.

“It’s very popular, and it drives a lot of sales,” says the analyst.

Chrysler takes it to the next level with UConnect. It will make use of cellular and Wi-Fi technology to allow instant access to the web. Why stop at playing music and making calls? With UConnect Web, drivers will be able to check e-mail, download and upload stuff, and just about anything you can possibly do online. Chrysler reports that it will package a satellite radio, a car phone, an integrated GPS, and streaming TV. Plus it also supports all the major gaming systems that use the Wi-Fi technology. It will be better than Ford’s SYNC: the system will also allow Bluetooth-ready mobile phones to connect - allowing drivers to receive calls with a receiver built into the car; and iPods to be played hands-free. It will also have a built-in Sirius Satellite Radio and a 30 GB hard drive with photo and movie viewing capabilities.

“In today’s market, Chrysler’s mission is to bring innovation to market more quickly,” says Chrysler Vice President Frank Klegon. And we thank you for that, Sir.

But some analysts say this innovation is not at the top of the list of characteristics car buyers are looking for.

“There could be some opportunity there, but we constantly see that internet access in the car is pretty much at the end of the priorities for consumers,” says an IT analyst from a tech research firm called Gartner. “The car is not being seen as an internet-browsing platform.” – What does he know about car buyers anyways?

He adds that automakers are “leapfrogging consumer demand.” He believes that they should focus more on making the cars compatible with iPhones, BlackBerrys and other widely used devices.

We will have to take the side of the auto makers here. Mobile phone compatibility is what Ford SYNC is about. And UConnect Web will let iPhone and BlackBerry owners open their e-mails on the go, aside from many other possible applications of an internet connection.

“I don’t think the industry is looking at it from that perspective. Right now most of the emphasis is on replicating what you do at home on your desktop or laptop,” adds the IT specialist.

Well, replicating what you do on your desktop or laptop is not so bad at all. Keeping yourself connected on the road will effectively make driving a more productive experience. Internet connection is not limited to home use. Office work is greatly dependent on internet connectivity, too. What’s wrong with being able to check you e-mail from your car? Or with uploading documents to an office database while being stuck in traffic?

“We set out to connect customers to the things that matter most to them,” said Chrysler’s Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Meyer. “The role for UConnect in the 2009 model year places the focus on the customer experience and how the features will make their life easier.”

Chrysler is reinventing the automobile. Pretty soon, with other manufacturers jumping on board, Wi-Fi will be everywhere. Park your car and turn it on – instant connection = mobile office. And Wi-Fi is so much more than just a means to connect to the web. Chrysler is leading the pack and the pack will soon follow.

Ultimately, this is the first step towards Intelligent Transportation Systems. The ongoing project hopes to use IT and related tech to develop transportation systems and improve safety, reduce vehicle wear, transportation times and fuel consumption. The idea aims to have cars communicate wirelessly with each other and with the road to increase safety, relieve congestion and manage traffic. It also hopes to provide real-time traffic information and create a national system for paying tolls electronically.

It is yet to be known how much the system will cost but sources say it will be in the same price range as laptop wireless cards (less than $25) – that’s dirt cheap. Others infer that pricing will be the same to what OnStar navigation and emergency roadside service charges – between $17 and $70 per month. Or it could be priced similarly to satellite radio, which costs just under $13 per month. But regardless, we know people will be more than willing to pay for UConnect Web. If SYNC urged buyers to pick Ford, UConnect will do more than that for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep.