German engineering and technology company Bosch has joined hands with Microsoft to develop a software-defined vehicle platform that will offer seamless integration between cars and cloud. The new software platform is expected to be available for first vehicle prototypes by the end of 2021.
With this move, the two companies seek to reduce the cost of development of vehicle software and accelerate its deployment.
The announcement comes at a time when software is expected to play an increasingly important role in future vehicle generations, particularly in light of trends such as electromobility, automated driving and modern mobility services.
Based on Microsoft Azure, the new software will leverage software modules from Bosch to enable the vehicle’s control units and computers to receive the required software. The two companies will also focus on the development of tools that expedite software development process and reduce associated cost.
ALSO IN THE NEWS: Volkswagen and Microsoft to accelerate driverless car partnership
Having a comprehensive software platform from the vehicle to the cloud will reduce the complexity of the software development and the vehicle system integration.
Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, said: “Bosch already securely updates car software over the air today. With the comprehensive platform for software-defined cars, we want to further empower automakers to develop new functions and get them on the road faster.”
Scott Guthrie, executive vice president, Cloud + AI, Microsoft, added: “With software quickly becoming a key differentiator in the automotive industry, our ambition is to help businesses accelerate the delivery of unique mobility services across passenger cars and commercial fleets at scale.”
Bosch and Microsoft also plan to enrich existing developer tools that will enable automakers and suppliers to simplify and accelerate their own software development, while adapting to the unique challenges in the automotive industry.
