The Delphi connectivity system's key fob service operates over the Verizon Wireless network or via Bluetooth to remotely lock or unlock doors, open the trunk, start or stop the engine and operate a panic horn on select vehicles.
But pushing similar plans could cannibalize the wireless carriers' existing businesses, which rely on contracts to lock in customers long enough to offset the cost of pricey phones.
Well after receiving a fresh infusion of cash from Google and Skype, the company is storming into the U.S. and Europe with a deal straight out of a domestic wireless carrier's playbook: give away or heavily subsidize the hardware in order to lock customers into long-term commitments.