Photo: Autonomic
Autonomic, Ford’s subsidiary in charge of the development of connected vehicles, will be launching its services in China as of this week after the carmaker signed an agreement with cloud computing company Alibaba Cloud.
Together, the two will be setting up the so-called Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC), which will serve as a cloud-based platform offering standardized data and infrastructure for developers. The goal of such a solution is to allow the creation of better in-vehicle connectivity and mobility technologies.
In words we can all understand, that means customers will be able to better plan their journeys, manage large fleets used as ride-hailing services, and ultimately make autonomous cars a reality on Chinese roads.
The TMC works like this: it collects vehicle data from multiple sources and converts it into a standardized format to be used on the platform. Users of the service can look at any set of info pertaining their vehicles, such as hard acceleration and idling.
The cloud can also be used to send commands to the vehicle remotely, allowing the owners to turn on the ignition or manage the charging schedule of the car.
For developers, sistem comes with an API that helps them to easily integrate it into their system. New applications can also be developed using the data from the TMC.
As for Alibaba, the giant conglomerate that started life as an online retailer in 1999, it has already sunk deep into cloud-based technologies aimed at aiding traffic. The company has already deployed its City Brain smart city solution in several locations in China and in Kuala Lumpur.
“The TMC is positioned to help automakers succeed and meet growing demand for connected vehicles and mobility services in China,” said in a statement Gavin Sherry, CEO of Autonomic.
“Through this partnership with Alibaba Cloud, we will accelerate our vision of creating the largest connected vehicle offering globally, while powering smart cities and vehicle connectivity in China.”
In words we can all understand, that means customers will be able to better plan their journeys, manage large fleets used as ride-hailing services, and ultimately make autonomous cars a reality on Chinese roads.
The TMC works like this: it collects vehicle data from multiple sources and converts it into a standardized format to be used on the platform. Users of the service can look at any set of info pertaining their vehicles, such as hard acceleration and idling.
The cloud can also be used to send commands to the vehicle remotely, allowing the owners to turn on the ignition or manage the charging schedule of the car.
For developers, sistem comes with an API that helps them to easily integrate it into their system. New applications can also be developed using the data from the TMC.
As for Alibaba, the giant conglomerate that started life as an online retailer in 1999, it has already sunk deep into cloud-based technologies aimed at aiding traffic. The company has already deployed its City Brain smart city solution in several locations in China and in Kuala Lumpur.
“The TMC is positioned to help automakers succeed and meet growing demand for connected vehicles and mobility services in China,” said in a statement Gavin Sherry, CEO of Autonomic.
“Through this partnership with Alibaba Cloud, we will accelerate our vision of creating the largest connected vehicle offering globally, while powering smart cities and vehicle connectivity in China.”
Google News