Toyota is to launch Toyota Connected, which will greatly expand the company’s capabilities in the fields of data management and data services development. The new company will serve as a data science hub for Toyota’s global operations and will support a broad range of consumer-, business- and government-facing initiatives.
The launch of Toyota Connected builds on Toyota’s global vision of a future of mobility that is clean, safe and convenient. The company will leverage the power of data science through Microsoft’s Azure cloud technology to develop predictive, contextual and intuitive services that help to humanize the driving experience, while pushing the technology into the background.
Zack Hicks, CEO of Toyota Connected and chief information officer at Toyota Motor North America (pictured), said, “From telematics services that learn from your habits and preferences, to use-based insurance pricing models that respond to actual driving patterns, to connected vehicle networks that can share road condition and traffic information, our goal is to deliver services that make lives easier.”
Based in Plano, Toyota Connected will launch with two mandates: delivering seamless and contextual services; and using cutting-edge data analytics to support product development for customers, dealers, distributors and partners. In support of these goals, the new company will consolidate Toyota initiatives in data center management, data analytics, and data-driven services development.
In addition, the new company builds on Toyota’s existing partnership with Microsoft to accelerate R&D efforts and deliver new connected car solutions and elevated customer experiences. Microsoft engineers will work with Toyota Connected in the new facility, providing continuous support across technology areas and leveraging a broad range of data analytics and mobile programs. Toyota Connected will adopt Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform, employing a hybrid solution globally.
April 6, 2016
