The connected car is with us for good. When I present toorganizations or groups such as at this year's IBIS symposium inBarcelona or the ICAR Conference in Detroit, I always clarify thatup front. For me that is an important component when looking at thestrategic landscape.

The second point of clarity I like to make is that technology iscompressing time in the auto space. At telematics conferences, thepredicted timelines continue to decline. When experts discussdriverless vehicles, autonomous driving and especially vehicle tovehicle (V2V) and vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I), what was onceseen as arriving in 2025 is now coming in 2020, and what was once2020 is now 2017. So if we take as fact that the connected car ishere and the changes it will bring are ever closer, that sharpensthe focus for organizations in terms of how they positionthemselves for this new future.

You only need to log onto automotive web pages or those ofUSA Today or the New York Times to see the almostdaily announcements by one auto manufacturer or another regardingever-changing vehicle technology. What you don't see much of is"what does that mean" for the claims and collision repair segments?Certainly opportunities exist to streamline the process and make ita better experience for all. If we look at this in more detail,then I can see a future claims and repair workflow very differentfrom today. I can also see new entrants into the market who willhave a different perspective on how to "manage" claims and aradically different business model.