Tata Communications, Microsoft tie up for developments in connected cars

New Delhi: Tata Communications has partnered with Microsoft to accelerate development in connected cars by enabling auto manufacturers to offer a seamless driving experience.

By combining the IoT (Internet-of-Things) connectivity and network intelligence capabilities of Tata Communications MOVE with the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, Tata Communications will enable automotive manufacturers to offer consumers worldwide more seamless and secure driving experiences, it said in a press release.

“In the not-too-distant future, you won’t view your car as a mode of transportation, you’ll view it as a mode of entertainment – and the opportunities that this opens up in areas like video streaming, retail, advertising and insurance are immense,” Tim Sherwood, Vice President, Mobility and IoT, Tata Communications, said in the statement.

“To unleash the full potential of V2X applications, businesses in the connected car ecosystem must be able to capture, move and manage gigabytes of vehicle data securely and seamlessly across the globe. That’s what our latest collaboration with Microsoft is all about – we want to turn that future potential into reality and pave the way for new disruptive connected car services.”

The Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform combines cloud and edge services with a strong partner network. It will be capable to equip vehicles with encrypted vehicle-to-cloud connectivity globally through the Tata Communications MOVE platform to address key challenges that complicate the creation of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications.

Those challenges include data security concerns around in-vehicle systems as well as their safety; the scalability, interoperability and effective management of these systems across the connected car ecosystem; and the ability to connect them across country borders.

Tata Communications MOVE also enables automotive OEMs to solve all their vehicle connectivity needs from a single source. By analysing networks in real-time, they are able to choose the best performing and most cost-effective mobile network in any given country, leveraging Tata Communications’ relationships with more than 600 mobile network operators worldwide.

“Connectivity through the Tata Communications MOVE platform, together with the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform’s secure and compliant cloud platform, ensures the security and integrity of data across a range of scenarios, including predictive maintenance, remote monitoring and control, and advanced navigation,” said Tara Prakriya, Partner Group Program Manager, Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform and Mobility, Microsoft.