Microsoft, Bosch partner to build a connected car software platform

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Microsoft and Bosch have partnered to build a vehicle platform to streamline and accelerate development and deployment of vehicle software for cars.

The platform will run on technology giant’s cloud service, and have software modules from the German auto component maker. The duo plan to integrate cars with cloud to allow software downloads to happen easily and to reduce technical complexities in development.

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“Having a comprehensive software platform from the vehicle to the cloud will reduce the complexity of the software development and the vehicle system integration,” Markus Heyn, board member at Bosch, said in a release. “In this way, we will create the conditions for wireless updates to work just as smoothly and conveniently in vehicles as they do in smartphones.”

Their joint platform is said to reduce complexity in over-the-air updates and help ensure vehicle’s software is always up to date through cloud integration. This type of integration may give drivers quicker access to new functions and digital services.

Both companies intend to make the new software platform available for first vehicle prototypes by the end of 2021, the release noted.

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Bosch and Microsoft also plan to enrich existing developer tools that will enable automakers and suppliers to simplify and accelerate their own software development.

In addition, they intend to open-source important parts of the new software platform on GitHub to encourage code re-use and best practice sharing across the industry.