Microsoft Corp. is restarting its push to offer software for cars with a brand-new set of programs and services in a bid to stay up to date with competitors like Google and Apple that are broadening in car technology.
“We’re not getting into self-driving cars ourselves however we can be an important element of it by providing the platform,” stated Microsoft’s business advancement chief Peggy Johnson, during an interview.
The Renault-Nissan alliance prepared an agreement in September with Microsoft to deal with auto technology. The business said Thursday that Renault-Nissan will be the first consumer for Microsoft’s Connected Vehicle Platform, which offers automakers with a set of services built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud. Readily available as a preview later this year, the system will gather sensor and usage information and help car manufacturers develop services that utilize that data together with Microsoft items like Cortana, Office and Skype.
During a keynote, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn at CES in Las Vegas, Nissan will show Microsoft’s voice-activated Cortana digital assistant utilized in a vehicle for things like arranging a service appointment after the vehicle senses maintenance is required.
The automaker picked Microsoft for its international reach, its familiarity with compliance concerns automakers deal with, and its preparation for making the relationship better over time, stated Ogi Redzic, senior vice president for connected automobiles at the Renault-Nissan alliance. “Microsoft has a top-notch cloud platform,” he included.
Nissan refused to state how many cars will utilize the software and by when. It’s preparing for over 10 models with autonomous driving technology by 2020, however those will not necessarily all use Microsoft innovation.
