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Microsoft’s connected vehicle platform normally is not considered in the same discussion as Google’s Android Auto or Apple’s Car Play, but according to a new report from ZDNet, it seems the company is adding yet another noteworthy feature to its collection of Azure-connected car related service bundles that could bring it closer in conversation.
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Microsoft and the Dutch-based navigation software provider TomTom have partnered to create a level of integration with Azure that would allow automakers to “generate data-driven insights to deliver tailored services and to make better-informed designs and engineering decisions,” based on the press release from TomTom.
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In addition to helping automotive engineering decisions, TomTom will also be providing its obvious HD mapping technology, traffic information analytics, and navigation tools to automakers to aid in autonomous software development.
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“Our integration with the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform means that automakers can get access to precise and reliable navigation and driving behavior data easily, while of course adhering to privacy principles. This data could, for instance, be used to predict the range of an electric vehicle based on driving behavior and planned route more accurately; or to work out, based on navigation behavior, what connectivity package for online navigation would be best suited for a driver. This is a game-changer for OEMs.”
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Today’s news follows a three-year-long pattern of decisions from both Microsoft and TomTom to enlist the help of one another while leveraging the benefits of cloud-based navigational developments.
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Back in December 2016, TomTom began seeding its location-based services to Azure and in February 2019, Microsoft awarded TomTom the coveted spot of location data provider for mapping services across the company’s various solutions that included Bing, Cortana, Windows and Azure Maps.
\n\nFurther reading: Azure, CarPlay Android Auto, Maps, Microsoft, TomTom