Toyota launches new firm to \'free customers from tyranny of technology\'

“Toyota Connected will help free our customers from the tyranny of technology,” said Zack Hicks, CEO, Toyota Connected and CIO, Toyota Motor North America. “It will make lives easier and help us to return to our humanity. From telematics services that learn from your habits and preferences, to use-based insurance pricing models that respond to actual driving patterns, to connected vehicle networks that can share road condition and traffic information, our goal is to deliver services that make lives easier.”

The new venture will significantly expand the company’s capabilities in the fields of data management and data services development. The launch builds on Toyota’s global vision of a future of mobility that is clean, safe and convenient.

The company will leverage the power of data science through Microsoft’s Azure cloud technology to develop predictive, contextual, and intuitive services that help to humanise the driving experience while pushing technology into the background.

Based in Plano, Texas, Toyota Connected will launch with two mandates: delivering seamless and contextual services, and using cutting-edge data analytics to support product development for customers, dealers, distributors, and partners. In support of these goals, the new company will consolidate Toyota initiatives in data centre management, data analytics, and data driven services development.

In addition, the new company builds on Toyota’s existing partnership with Microsoft to accelerate R&D efforts and deliver new connected car solutions and elevated customer experiences. Microsoft engineers will work with Toyota Connected in their new facility, providing continuous support across technology areas and leveraging a broad range of data analytics and mobile programs. Toyota Connected will adopt Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform, employing a hybrid solution globally.

Source : BS Motoring