Toyota and Microsoft Together For Toyota Connected Cars

Apr 05, 2016 10:10 PM EDT | Tes Christiansen

Toyota is in the works on a partnership with Microsoft Corp. for further exploration of the known automaker's grasp for connected-vehicle research as of Monday recently, according to a Bloomberg post.

The connected-car technology collaboration with software giant Microsoft, would be aptly named Toyota Connected Cars and likewise managed by Zack Hicks, Toyota Motor North America's group vice president and chief information officer. Up to $5.5 million in initial investment for the joint venture was announced, with the project to be based in Plano, Texas.

"Toyota Connected will help free our customers from the tyranny of technology," said Hicks, as per the publication.

Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform would be one of the elements that Toyota aims to utilize in order to develop the idea and hopes to integrate a human touch to driver experience.

The company also expressed its continued desire to work with Toyota and Toyota Connected to provide a more intuitive, safe, and personal driving encounter for everyone, as noted by Kurt DelBene per Bloomberg, Microsoft's executive vice president of corporate strategy and planning.


Both companies have since been in collaboration in the expertise of telematics and connected car services as of 2011.

"It will make lives easier and help us to return to our humanity," continued Hicks as per Motortrend.

With the advent of increasingly developing technologies for the auto industry, as well as for other industries, the improvement of connected driving technology would allow these vehicles to study driver habits and innovate ways for a better, safer experience on the road.

Toyota also stated that such move with Microsoft would cement its studies in data analytics and management. From telematics services to models that would reciprocate driver preferences, the said partnership would also pave the way in the creation of a more connected vehicle system and ultimately lead to sharing traffic information as well as road conditions.

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