The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Microsoft have signed an agreement to work on next-generation connected car technologies and driving experiences
The services, based on Microsoft's Azure cloud service, will include advanced navigation, predictive maintenance and vehicle centric services, remote monitoring of car features, external mobile experiences and over-the-air updates.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is already working on autonomous driving and connectivity features in its vehicles which are affordably priced.
It seeks to develop connectivity technologies and features that can support the 10 autonomous vehicles that are planned to be introduced by 2020.
The automotive company said that it will continue to work on connected services for its automobiles which are vehicle-centric and which can simplify and enhance car usage.
Some of the services which will be offered include usage-based information, remote access, remote diagnostics and preventive maintenance.
For the connected services, Microsoft Azure will provide a secured global cloud platform with unlimited scale. This will help Renault-Nissan in delivering its services to its consumers worldwide.
According to Renault-Nissan, Azure has been selected mainly because of its enterprise-level security and Microsoft’s commitment for compliance.
Apart from this Azure can support several operating systems, programming languages and tools along with flexibility and choice to build a common platform to deploy services to both the brands in the alliances.
The partnership can bring several advantages to consumers. Customers can personalise and protect their settings along with the data on the car. The data can also be transferred from one car to another car.
Customers can access over the air updates, which could be applications related to latest autonomous driving or collisions avoidance applications.
Customers can monitor their car from a distance, through their mobile phone or laptop. The control of the vehicle can be transferred temporarily to friends and family with the click of a button.
The cars will also feature tracking software which can be useful for tracking stolen vehicles and the vehicle can disable the vehicle at the next best opportunity.
Microsoft global sales, marketing and operations executive vice president and president Jean-Philippe Courtois said: "While the connected car experience is in its infancy, we believe there's so much potential to dramatically change the industry.
"We are partnering to accelerate Renault-Nissan's mobile and cloud strategies and unlock new experiences for their customers.
“Renault-Nissan is an exceptional partner thanks to its global presence and range of brands, which enable it to bring entirely new mobile and digital experiences to so many people. This collaboration will bring a new standard to connected cars."
