14 DAY TRIAL // Toyota is starting to accelerate on the Cloud highway and it has chosen Microsoft as its co-pilot.
The two companies have joined forces on a new project focused on creating a new telematics platform designed to seamlessly serve telecommunications and information technologies to Toyota automotive customers worldwide in just a few years.
Per the new strategic agreement of the duo, Toyota and Microsoft will invest no less than 1 billion yen ($12 million) in the car manufacturer’s forthcoming global Cloud-based telematics services, which will be built by Toyota Media Service Co.
The Redmond company’s Windows Azure will make possible Toyota’s next-generation Cloud services designed to offer drivers not only telecommunications capabilities, but also GPS systems combined with energy management and even multimedia functionality.
“Today’s announcement of our partnership with TMC is a great example of how we continue to invest in the automotive industry and of our commitment to power the services that are important to consumers,” revealed Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer.
“It further validates the power of the cloud, as the Windows Azure platform will provide the enterprise-grade, scalable platform that TMC needs to deliver telematics in its automobiles worldwide.”
Customers that will buy Toyota’s electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles starting with 2012 will be the first to enjoy the new Windows Azure-based telematics services.
“This new partnership between Microsoft and Toyota is an important step in developing greater future mobility and energy management for consumers around the world. Creating these more efficient, more environmentally advanced products will be our contribution to society,” said Akio Toyoda, president of TMC (Toyota Motor Corp.)
“To achieve this, it is important to develop a new link between vehicles, people and smart center energy-management systems.”
The software and car giants underline that the new telematics partnership is focused on making sure that Toyota automotive customers will have at their disposal a global cloud platform by 2015.