Verizon enters the connected car space with Hum

Verizon has just announced that its telematics device, now called Hum, is ready for the road. Hum was originally called Verizon Vehicle and was announced back in January. It consists of two devices: an OBD2 reader and a speaker that you clip onto your sun visor.

The OBD2 reader pulls diagnostic information from the vehicle's Controller Area Network, and the speaker contains a wireless modem to send that data to the cloud, as well as enabling OnStar-like functions where you can talk to concierge mechanics and emergency services.

In some ways this feels like a brave move by Verizon. Awareness of what Internet-connected OBD2 devices can do has probably never been higher, but for all the wrong reasons. What's more, the aftermarket connected car market is starting to look crowded. There's an entire alphabet out there, from Automatic to Zubie, all building connected OBD2 devices and APIs for third-party app developers.