FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Bosch Service Solutions plans to expand its mobility service business in the U.S. with the acquisition of Roadside Protect Inc., a provider of towing and roadside administration services along with motor club products in North America.
Bosch Service Solutions President Henning von Boxberg called the acquisition a "strategic component for further expanding the services we offer in the North American market." Roadside Protect operates a digital platform through which it manages its partner network of more than 12,000 towing companies in the U.S. and Canada, he added.
Itasca, Ill.-based Roadside Protect handles breakdowns, recall administrations, claims processing and other services for passenger cars up to heavy-duty vehicles. It works with fleets, vehicle manufacturers, aftermarket and insurance clients.
The companies did not disclose the purchase price. Roadside Protect employs around 200.
"With this acquisition, we are combining our global customer network and our expertise in breakdown service with the North American towing industry," von Boxberg said.
Roadside Protect and Bosch Service Solutions both have proprietary platforms. By connecting both platforms, Roadside Protect's deep regional industry knowledge is brought together with Bosch's technology and service expertise and global service setup, the company said.
With real-time connected vehicle information, for example, Bosch said it provides valuable information to dispatchers, which effectively helps to resolve breakdowns on site without the need for a tow.
"By bringing these companies together, we will bring the capabilities and quality of breakdown services in North America to a new level," Vince Sommer, chief sales officer at Roadside Protect, said.
"Innovative technologies, personal service and very good regional coverage help us to address the breakdowns for our clients as quickly as possible and supports drivers in these stressful situations with seamless and effective customer service."
Bosch Service Solutions has been managing connected services for more than 20 automotive manufacturers and numerous other providers of mobility services worldwide since 2012.
A special feature of these services is that they work with connected vehicle data and mobile devices. Bosch also relies on other technologies such as AI-based speech recognition.
