IBM Launches Service To Help Automakers Build Internet Of Things Connected Vehicles

IBM has announced the launch of a new cloud-based service that is intended to help automakers turn driver and vehicle data into actionable insights for predictive vehicle maintenance, real-time diagnostics on engine trouble, and to guide drivers to take the most efficient traffic routes.

It is estimated that 90 percent of new cars will be equipped with extensive connectivity services by 2020. To fully utilize this connectivity, automakers are increasingly using Internet of Things (IoT) solutions that help to securely deliver data generated from cars directly to the cloud for near real-time analysis.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects that are embedded with connectivity, software, electronics and sensors that allow objects to collect and exchange data. IBM’s Internet of Things (IoT) for Automotive solution, built on the recently announced IBM IoT Foundation, provides driver, vehicle, and environmental insights through analytics, tapping both vehicle and geolocation data that is collected in the car. Additionally, it delivers new insights from third party data, such as from parking providers, as well as an automotive manufacturer’s customer data and vehicle history.

The international automotive supplier Continental is using IBM MessageSight and IBM InfoSphere Streams, components of the IBM IoT for Automotive solution, to help manage complex data streams and apply analytics to its eHorizon solution, which allows vehicle electronics to anticipate road conditions using digital mapping and crowd sourced data.

“The number of connected devices continues to grow at an extraordinary rate, and we are constantly on the lookout to use the data generated from those devices in a meaningful way,” explained Brian Droessler, Head of Software & Connected Solutions, Continental Infotainment & Connectivity Business Unit. “Together with IBM, we can better manage complex streams of data and apply analytics in a way that’s secure, allowing us to create innovative solutions.”

“With the significant increase in connected cars, automotive manufacturers have the ability to take near real-time data and put it to good use for drivers in a variety of ways – from finding the nearest parking space and most efficient route, to maintenance alerts that help drivers expect the unexpected,” said Dirk Wollschlaeger, general manager, Global Automotive Industry, IBM. “By combining data directly from the car with other sources, the insights derived through the IBM IoT for Automotive solution have the potential to change how we interact with our vehicles moving forward.”

For automakers, IBM’s new service is likely to make significant changes in the way that future connected car systems operate, and its development may help to shape the vehicles of tomorrow. And for consumers, the additional information that is provided in real-time will make their driving experience safer and much more efficient.

But what about dealerships?

Certainly, an increase in connectivity in cars means dealerships will have to stay on the pulse of the technological changes as they happen, to adapt not only their knowledge base, but perhaps to alter their overall sales approach. Technology and vehicles are becoming increasingly intertwined, with exciting developments in connected car capabilities on the horizon.