Castel

For the reseller

Castel: it installs in a minute, and that changes your cost of sale

Chinese manufacturer founded in 1997 and linked to the country's state aerospace group; it also appears as Sinocastel. Its speciality is devices that plug into the vehicle's diagnostic connector.

Who you sell it to: vehicle rental, usage-based insurance, and every customer who won't let anyone touch the car.

What it earns you: the saving here is not in the device, it is in the installation. With no wires to cut you need no technician: the customer plugs it in himself. That lets you sell by post, to another city, without sending anyone. It opens a market you cannot serve today.

What to watch: what makes it easy to fit makes it easy to remove. It is no use for anti-theft. Don't sell it as theft protection — it is usage control.

Where the connector device fits: vehicle rental, tracking with no hardware and what to charge and how often.

Which protocol it speaks: Castel devices reach the platform over the Castel and Conector OBD protocols. Their pages explain what they are and how they work.