The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance has released its new Alliance Intelligent Cloud, a service that will use the cloud, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things technologies to power connected vehicles from the three automotive companies. As a result, the automotive alliance will use the Azure to power these services, which Microsoft says will allow them to capture and analyze the data in a secure manner, and use it to deliver intelligence services. Additionally, with Microsoft infrastructure, the alliance will be able to provide diagnostic services, firmware update, and infotainment services.
Microsoft says that the new Renault Clio along with the Nissan Leaf will not only be the first cars to use the Alliance Intelligent Cloud technology, but will also be the first vehicles powered by the Microsoft Connected Vehicle platform available immediately to consumers at sale. The vehicles in question will be sold in either Japan or Europe, but hopefully it won’t be long before these services reach the other 200+ markets where the vehicles are sold. Microsoft’s EVP and president of Global Sales, Jean-Philippe Courtois, stated that:
“Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is a longstanding partner and our first strategic partner for the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform. Today’s production release of the Alliance Intelligent Cloud enables a new generation of connected services powered by Microsoft Azure to come to market.”
In addition to this smart the benefits that we just mentioned, Microsoft says that multiple vehicles across the automotive companies in the alliance will be able to benefit from the same shared technologies. These might include monitoring, connected navigation and assistance, remote services, as well as firmware updates and other services.
While the partnership is certainly interesting, it isn’t exactly new for the automotive companies. A couple years back, Renault and Nissan signed a global multiyear contract to use Azure services to power it’s connected vehicles.
Further reading: AI, Azure, Cloud, connected vehicles, IoT, Microsoft, Nissan, Renault
