Month: March 2023

What’s the news: AAA has selected T-Mobile as its exclusive wireless partner for their roadside assistance fleet.Why it matters: Legendary for their best-in-class roadside assistance and an unwavering commitment to safety, AAA is working with T-Mobile to help reduce response times and get people out of harm’s way more quickly.Who it’s for: Transportation and logistics industry technology decision makers who require wireless and IoT solutions for fleet management.

BELLEVUE, Wash. and ORLANDO, Fla., March 24, 2023 /3BL Media/ – T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced that AAA has selected the Un-carrier to be its exclusive wireless partner to help keep their drivers and members safe when minutes count. Under this long-term agreement, T-Mobile will provide connectivity for AAA-owned roadside assistance fleets nationwide. Additionally, T-Mobile has outfitted thousands of AAA roadside assistance technicians with 5G phones so they can stay connected on the road and beyond.

One of North America’s largest and most trusted membership organizations, AAA serves more than 63 million members and responds to approximately 30 million calls for roadside assistance annually. And moments matter for the safety of tow providers, emergency responders and travelers who are on the side of today’s busy and congested roads. Every minute a person is stopped on a freeway, the risk of being seriously injured or killed in a secondary crash increases. In fact, according to the Federal Highway Administration, the likelihood of a secondary crash goes up by 2.8 percent for each minute the primary accident continues to be a hazard. So, to help reduce time spent at the side of the road, AAA will rely on the 5G network that covers more US highway miles than any other carrier.

AAA roadside assistance connectivity and management 
From coast-to-coast, AAA is equipping thousands of its roadside assistance vehicles with cellular connectivity to put critical tools and information at responders’ fingertips.

Connectivity: In-vehicle tablets will give AAA roadside assistance technicians quick and efficient access to important applications and utilities like integrated maps for wayfinding and precise location of members in distress; electronic forms to eliminate the need for paperwork and facilitate timely intake and processing; andvoice applications for dispatch and vital communications.T-Mobile IoT + Geotab: To enhance productivity, fleet optimization and safety ― T-Mobile IoT, combined with Geotab fleet telematics solutions, will inform AAA roadside assistance fleet managers with actionable data and reports that offer insights on driver behavior; route optimization and fuel economy and vehicle health, diagnostics and maintenance.  

“Our top priority is to keep our members and our roadside assistance providers safe,” said Margaret Pittelkow, Vice President of Automotive for AAA. “To do this, we have to respond to calls for help quickly. It’s why we chose T-Mobile as our exclusive wireless partner. We know that with their fast and reliable 5G network, we can take our service to the next level.” 

“This relationship brings together two marquee brands that are deeply committed to customer satisfaction,” said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. “AAA, for their legendary roadside assistance network and unwavering commitment to driver safety, and T-Mobile, renowned for its 5G network and customer experience. This powerful combination is introducing improved experiences that can only be backed by the fastest wireless network and greatest road-side assistance program.”

AAA on Us 
Additionally, as announced last June — T-Mobile customers can get a FREE year ofAAA Classic or Basic membership. That means free 24-hour roadside assistance including towing, flat tire service, battery service and more for all T-Mobile Magenta, Magenta MAX and eligible small business customers. For details on how to redeem your free year of AAA on Us, head to T-Mobile.com/AAA.

To learn more about AAA, T-Mobile for Business and Geotab, visit

AAA: aaa.com, AAA Newsroom or @AAANewsT-Mobile: t-mobile.com/business, T-Mobile Newsroom or @TMobileNewsGeotab: geotab.com or Geotab Pressroom

About AAA 
Started in 1902 by automotive enthusiasts who wanted to chart a path for better roads in America and advocate for safe mobility, AAA has transformed into one of North America’s largest membership organizations. Today, AAA provides roadside assistance, travel, discounts, financial and insurance services to enhance the life journey of 63 million members across North America, including over 56 million in the United States. To learn more about all AAA has to offer or to become a member, visit AAA.com.

About T-Mobile 
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com.

The Coldplay Music Of The Spheres World Tour app, developed in partnership with SAP, combines an immersive experience along with features to help fans make more environmentally friendly decisions when attending Coldplay shows. A blind Coldplay fan supported SAP in making the app accessible for blind and visually impaired people.

When Coldplay started their Music Of The Spheres World Tour in 2022, the goal was clear: to make it their most sustainable and environmentally friendly tour yet by cutting their CO2 emissions by 50% compared to the 2016/17 world tour. SAP supported this goal with the development of the Music Of The Spheres World Tour app which allows fans to not only enjoy exclusive tour content but also helps them visualize how their actions attending shows contribute to their carbon footprint so they can choose more sustainable transportation options.

The Music Of The Spheres World Tour app calculates the impact of fan travel to and from shows, providing rewards for fans who commit to low-carbon transportation options and enables Coldplay to understand the fans carbon footprint to offset emissions. As Coldplay launches year two of its tour, more than 350,000 fans in over 150 countries have downloaded the app, proving Coldplay’s vision right: armed with information and intent, every concert-going fan can make more sustainable travel choices.

Next Step: Making the App Accessible for Blind and Visually Impaired People

During the development process, both Coldplay and the SAP team set the goal to make the app accessible for users with disabilities who rely on assistive technology like screen readers or magnifiers. As the SAP team started to work on accessibility functionalities, a Coldplay fan from Mexico reached out to share her challenges as a blind person using the app.

The fan, who asked to remain anonymous, explains: “I’m blind since birth and I need screen readers for productivity and entertainment in my daily life. As a huge Coldplay fan, I tried to use the tour app and quickly noticed that the app was difficult to use for one who is blind or visually impaired. I’m very much driven to advocate for blind people to get equal opportunity, and to enjoy interactive content. That’s why I contacted SAP to support in the areas of sound design, testing and providing ideas for software development to make the app more usable for blind fans.”

To make the Music Of The Spheres World tour app accessible, we included feedback from a blind fan who is an audio engineer and tech enthusiast. She is deeply passionate about accessibility and music, with Coldplay being her favorite band. What she admires most about Coldplay is their commitment to accessibility and equality, like providing sign language interpretation for deaf concertgoers or installing quiet stations with sensory bags for people with autism. Her favorite Coldplay songs are Politik and Coloratura.

The Coldplay fan connected with Nicole Windmann, vice president for Accessibility and Inclusive Design at SAP. “With our SAP products we aim to create a more sustainable and inclusive environment for people. Accessibility is a key driver of this vision. When we include insights from people with different backgrounds and acknowledge different ways of working, perception, and interaction with our designs, we can create the most enjoyable and efficient software.”

Working with three SAP employees who are also blind, the SAP Academy for Engineering development team worked to optimize accessibility functionalities for the Music Of The Spheres World Tour app. The team labeled items like screen buttons and described images, to enable screen readers to read out the functionality and provide helpful hints. Additionally, gestures such as swiping or double tapping are often used by blind people to navigate an app without having to look at the screen. To use this functionality, the team re-structured the code of the Coldplay app, providing a more suitable navigation for blind users.

In close contact with the SAP team, the Coldplay fan volunteered to test the app usability for blind users and give her feedback. “Working with SAP has been great!” she says. “My feedback helped the developers understand the blindness point of view. In a world where the capabilities of people with disabilities are often underestimated or assumed without getting to know the person first, I’m inspired every day to work on a more inclusive world.”

“At SAP, we believe that diversity drives innovation and better experiences for our employees, customers, and partners alike,” Christian Klein, CEO and member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, says. “The fans feedback on the Coldplay app is a great example of the vital role user feedback plays in shaping our applications and the importance of having products and services that are inclusive and accessible to all.”

SAP’s Responsibility Toward Diversity & Inclusion

At SAP, we strive to be the most inclusive company in the world, reflecting a higher standard of societal values and perspectives in all that we do. Our diversity and inclusion strategy is built on three pillars:

Workforce Diversity: We believe in leveraging the widest spectrum of human differences that represent a diversity of identities, thoughts, and perspectives to create business outcomes that help the world run better every dayWorkplace Inclusion: Creating a positive work environment where colleagues can thrive and engage to their fullest potential in driving SAP’s purpose, inclusion involves active co-creation of the culture where all experiences lead to a feeling of acceptance and belongingMarketplace Leadership: We realize the responsibility that comes with being one of the largest tech companies in the world and extend what we do to our entire ecosystem; efforts within society through philanthropy, education, and advocacy help elevate the brand.

After an extensive testing and development phase, we’re now ready to provide blind and visually impaired people an even greater app experience – just in time for Coldplay’s 2023 Music Of The Spheres World Tour stops in Latin America, Europe, and North America.

To experience it all for yourself, the Coldplay Music Of The Spheres World Tour app is available for download on iOS and Android.

“Our fans worldwide are our biggest inspiration. They have enabled us with their feedback to make the Music Of The Spheres World Tour app as useful and accessible as possible. We’re proud of the collaboration with our partner SAP, who has created an impactful app that can now also be used by fans who are blind or visually impaired,” Coldplay states.

The Coldplay fan from Mexico is wishfully looking forward to the 2023 tour. “I will be attending Coldplay’s San Diego show and I am already thrilled about it. And of course I will make sure to check the app for sustainable travel options,” she says with a smile on her face.