The collaboration between Amazon Web Services (AWS) and BMW to develop customizable cloud software that will simplify the distribution and management of data from millions of connected vehicles could have a far-ranging impact on the automotive industry because it will be available to other manufacturers.
Wendy Bauer, AWS’s General Manager of Automotive, told Canadian auto dealer her company and BMW began working together a few years ago to create an even more efficient way for the automaker to collect and analyze its data, solve business problems and create a more satisfying driver experience.
She said the new technology will accelerate BMW’s pace of innovation by placing data and analytics at the centre of its decision-making.
Bauer said moving forward, this jointly-developed software will be available to other automakers as part of the “AWS for Automotive” offering. She said it is designed to easily integrate vehicle data sources, accelerate vehicle and fleet application feature development and improve life cycle management while delivering advanced vehicle features and more personalized driver experiences at lower costs.
“Other automakers could offer add-on features like electric vehicle range improvements or performance upgrades for a weekend off-road, and it will help fleet managers develop responsive, vehicle-aware applications,” Bauer said.
She said the new technology has been consumer driven because they want to continue to update and bring new features and updates just like their mobile phones, while providing end-to-end security, seamless development and deployment of software to vehicles.
She added AWS is responsible for the security of the cloud, and its customers and partners are responsible for their data. She said only the BMW Group’s internal domain experts will gain access to the data via a self-service mechanism.
BMW currently has 20 million connected vehicles in more than 50 countries. A company spokesperson could not confirm whether the technology will be available for its first all-electric Neue Klasse editions scheduled to be available to consumers in 2025 and which will process roughly triple the volume of vehicle data compared to the current generation of BMW models.
