Microsoft to Release Cloud-Based Services for Self-Driven Cars

Microsoft’s New Connected Vehicle Platform Will Put Virtual Assistant Cortana in the Center of Self Driven Car Technology

Technology giant Microsoft hopes to make Azure’s cloud services available to a range of automakers in hopes of putting their virtual assistant Cortana in the center of Self Driven Car technology development.

In it’s public announcement o Friday, the giant unveiled it’s Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform to handle all the technical needs of self driven cars from predictive maintenance to advanced navigation and in-car productivity. With this platform, Microsoft hopes to provide a backbone for a suite of cloud based services that can be used to enhance the driving / user experience in their connected vehicles.

Built on top of Azure, the platform will be publicly available by the end of this year, bringing services like Cortana, Office 365 and Skype for Business into vehicle production. This is a big step as Microsoft’s entry into the self driven car technology could alter the entire landscape.

With unified cloud access to your vehicle’s sensors and usage information, Microsft can envision cases where your car is already headed to a meeting and once you get in, it can automatically pull up the relevant files, information along with the directions.

Pretty cool right?

The best part is that since this is a platform and not an off the shelf system, car makers will be able to customize it’s use and include only those features that they deem fit to be a part of their vehicle design.

There have also been reports that confirm that car maker Nissan will be the first to bring features built on Microsoft’s Connected Vehicle Platform to the market. Renault – Nissan Chairman, Carlos Ghosn, recently gave a demo of how Microsoft’s Cortana could offer shortcuts on your route and engage an auto parking feature.

According to the tech giant, other car manufacturers like BMW, Toyota and Volvo are planning to integrate some features from Microsoft’s Connected Vehicle Platform into their own connected cars.

In the launch on Friday, Microsoft’s EVP for Business Development Peggy Johnson said, “This is not an in-car operating system or a ‘finished product, it’s a living, agile platform that starts with the cloud as the foundation.”

Looks like the new age of car technology is here, and it’s going to be exciting!

Take a peek into what Microsoft’s Connected Vehicle Platform has in store for you –

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