'''Autonet Mobile''' was a Santa Rosa, California based company that provided 4G in-vehicle telematics devices, and marketing and management software for automotive dealerships and aftermarket service providers. The company held several original equipment manufacturer agreements with the automotive manufacturers General Motors, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Subaru, and Volkswagen.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10715416 |title=Wi-Fi cars hit the information superhighway |access-date=2013-07-10 |archive-date=2015-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211233753/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10715416 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Company's mobile Wi-Fi router for cars will be offered as option in GM's Cadillac CTS starting next month | url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090326/BUSINESS/903269981 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212023631/https://www.pressdemocrat.com/csp/mediapool/sites/PressDemocrat/News/story.csp?cid=2269594&sid=555&fid=181 |archive-date=February 12, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In early 2011, it was estimated that there were 10,000 Autonet Mobile users in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wi-Fi cars hitting the information superhighway|url=https://phys.org/news/2011-03-wi-fi-cars-superhighway.html|website=phsy.org|access-date=2021-11-25}}</ref> As of 2009, the Autonet Mobile routers were primarily available as a factory installed product that required activation, although they were also available as an aftermarket product through auto dealerships and retailers as well as online retailers like Amazon.com.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.engadget.com/2009/06/23/autonet-mobile-in-car-wifi-router-goes-national-with-amazon-avai/ | title=Autonet Mobile in-car WiFi router goes national with Amazon availability | date=23 June 2009 }}</ref>
==History== Autonet Mobile was founded in 2005 by Sterling Pratz and Doug Moeller in Sonoma County, California. The company developed a mobile router that connected to 3G cellular networks to create a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baig |first1=Edward |title=Autonet car-based Wi-Fi system was neat but a bit bumpy |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2008-10-29-baig-autonet-review_N.htm |website=USA Today |access-date=20 August 2022}}</ref> Autonet Mobile launched its services in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baig |first1=Edward |title=Gadgets tap into consumers' need to be on the go, desire for high-def |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-01-07-reporters-notebook_x.htm |website=USA Today |access-date=20 August 2022}}</ref> They presented at the International Consumer Electronics show in 2008 and by 2009 had reported a sales increase of 221% in the first quarter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lancasteronline.com/article/local/215170_Let-s-get-in-the-car-and---surf-.html |title=Let's get in the car and … surf? - Columns |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130710163523/https://lancasteronline.com/article/local/215170_Let-s-get-in-the-car-and---surf-.html |archive-date=10 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc2009049_588284_page_2.htm |title=Cars Gone Wireless |accessdate=2013-07-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109133507/https://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc2009049_588284_page_2.htm |archivedate=2010-01-09 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2009/tc20090715_563620.htm |title=In-Car Electronics Poised to Rebound|accessdate=2013-07-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310141118/https://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2009/tc20090715_563620.htm |archivedate=2012-03-10 }}</ref> General Motors and Subaru began offering the Autonet Mobile service as a dealer-installed option in 2009<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/seven-chevy-models-eligible-for-199-autonet-mobile-wifi-router/ | title=Seven Chevy models eligible for $199 Autonet Mobile WiFi router | date=15 December 2009 }}</ref> with Mercedes and the Chevrolet Silverado adopting the Wi-Fi device in 2012.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Aug/0829_silverado_wifi.html | title=Take Your Office on the Road with the 2012 Chevy Silverado | date=29 August 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=42417040 | title=Autonet Mobile Inc - Company Profile and News }}</ref> The company partnered with Robert Bosch GmbH to manufacture an embedded telematics unit to interface with a vehicle's CAN bus.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130710163512/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-204756208.html HighBeam]</ref>
==Other uses== Autonet Mobile's Wi-Fi devices were sold to counties in Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, and Washington, D.C. for use in school buses, which prompted the development of internal content filters.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE0DE1031F931A25751C0A9669D8B63 | title=Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy Bus into Rolling Study Hall | newspaper=The New York Times | date=12 February 2010 | last1=Dillon | first1=Sam }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-schools/ci_20226311/nederland-school-bus-becomes-wi-fi-hot-spot?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com | title=Nederland school bus becomes Wi-Fi hot spot | date=21 March 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/06/16/35wifibus.h29.html?qs=Ian+Quillen | title=Districts Equipping School Buses with WiFi | newspaper=Education Week | date=11 June 2010 | last1=Quillen | first1=Ian }}</ref> In 2011, the Southside EMS department in Chatham County, Georgia equipped 35 ambulances with the Autonet Mobile Wi-Fi routers, allowing EMS technicians to file trip reports and share EKG information with hospitals while en route.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.9-1-1magazine.com/Pratz-Connected-Ambulance |title=Speeding Patient Care - Case Study: The Connected Ambulance |access-date=2013-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223832/https://www.9-1-1magazine.com/Pratz-Connected-Ambulance |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Autonet Mobile}} Category:Defunct electronics companies of the United States Category:Online automotive companies of the United States Category:Franchises Category:Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Companies based in Santa Rosa, California Category:Electronics companies established in 2005 Category:Telecommunications companies established in 2005 Category:2005 establishments in California