Smart Links Transform Mobility with ‘Data’

Under the huge trend of “digital transformation,” many companies are focusing their capabilities on effectively using data to boost business performance.

SK Rent-A-Car is emphasizing its data-based business by declaring its vision of ‘data-drive on-offline mobility service provider’ this year. A representative example is ‘Smart Link’, a comprehensive vehicle management solution.

Smart links were developed independently through SK Rent-a-Car’s original technology in 2017. The key is to collect driving data in real time through dedicated Internet of Things (IoT) terminals installed in vehicles. Based on the collected data, various services such as vehicle management and control are provided. Currently, more than 700 companies and public institutions, including SK Group companies, use 50,000 accounts and are recognized for their technology.

Smart Link provides vehicle management services to companies that operate corporate vehicles on a large scale. In addition to real-time vehicle location monitoring, it is possible to easily manage operating costs such as fuel costs, highway tolls, and fines. In addition, it is convenient because the vehicle operation record log is automatically written according to the document form of each company.

If an efficient vehicle management system is needed, any company, regardless of industry, can use SmartLink’s vehicle management service. Entertainment companies basically have a large number of operating vehicles and long mileage, so smartlinks are useful because systematic vehicle operation is essential. In fact, large entertainment companies called the industry’s big three currently manage vehicles using smartlinks.

It also provides a car-sharing service that allows users to easily reserve and return vehicles through mobile apps and even control doors. Car sharing allows you to use your company’s vehicle for personal use during off-duty hours. At the company level, costs can be reduced, and executives and employees can enjoy a kind of welfare benefit, so satisfaction is high. Above all, it is meaningful in terms of utilizing idle resources.

Smart links are also contributing to the creation of ‘social value (SV)’ through data-based mobility efficiency. Typically, smartlinks reduce accidents by providing reports that analyze driving habits through driving data such as rapid acceleration, sudden stop, and speeding. In fact, if you look at SK Rent-a-Car’s long-term rental car corporation customers last year, vehicles with smartlinks have a 10% lower accident rate than vehicles without smart links. The average amount of accidents was also about 10% less for vehicles with smart links.

In addition, shipping and port companies that use smartlinks such as Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and HPNT use smart links to monitor vehicles exceeding 30 kilometers per hour in real time to guide drivers.

Smart links also help reduce fuel costs. Data-based systematic management system increases operational efficiency by preventing unnecessary vehicle use. According to a survey of companies using smart links, they answered that they are reducing fuel costs by an average of 12.5 percent through smart links.

SK Rent-A-Car is actively expanding the application field of smart links. It introduced ‘E-Smart Link’, which collects and provides electric vehicle data such as batteries, and ‘G-Smart Link’, a customized solution considering the working environment of public institutions. In the future, along with continuous technology development, we plan to expand partnerships with related companies to increase the number of applications.