Volvo Penta’s new product, Easy Connect, lets boat owners connect to their boat via their smart device – enhancing the experience both onboard and at home.
Boat owners can now take to the water with all the information they need in the palm of their hands. Volvo Penta’s new Easy Connect app gives boat owners access to engine, boat and route data – directly on their smartphone or tablet. The free-to-download app is paired with an onboard Bluetooth interface installed in the boat, which transfers data. This gives instant live access while onboard and information for referencing later when back on land. Route history is automatically stored within the app, which is a perfect tool to plan for future trips.
“With mobile apps now being an integral part of people’s everyday lives, it’s clear that boat owners want this kind of interactive connectivity when on the water and at home too,” says Anders Thorin, manager for product planning for electronics at Volvo Penta.
“Our new Easy Connect app is a great tool as it gives boat owners, crew and guests a simple way to see all the engine and vessel data with just the swipe of their fingertips.”
Meet Your New Crew Member
The Easy Connect app has a simple and intuitive dashboard-style layout that can be personalized to each customer’s requirements. There is a ‘Captain’ view for onboard operation, and a ‘Home’ view to see saved information when not connected to the boat.
Captain View: This view gives access to data such as route, engine speed, oil temperature, fuel tank levels, battery status, engine hours, pressure and alarm status.
Home View: Key information is always stored within the app, such as the amount of fuel left, engine hours and the latest journey. The app also keeps a list of all previous journeys, allowing boat owners to revisit their favourite trips. In the map function, owners will be able to see the position of the boat when they were last connected.
Share Your Experiences
Boat owners can also use the app’s map function to share their trips via social media, so that friends and family can see favourite locations and exciting journeys.
“Just as people show friends and family memories of their favourite holidays and experiences on land, they can now share details of the best journeys they’ve had at sea,” says Marcus Pettersson, project manager at Volvo Penta. “It adds another level of enjoyment and interaction to leisure boating.”