Software support for telematics

Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit is focusing on the convergence of Internet technologies with vehicle systems through the deployment of Windows CE and .NET software platforms.

Four wheels, a motor, and cupholders are an automotive formula that will be with us for a while, no matter how pervasive the Internet becomes. Still, there's every reason to believe that the Internet will have far-reaching effects on what cars do and how customers interact with them. The automobile has absorbed technology like a sponge, driven by competitive pressure for continuously improving functionality/cost ratios. When the microprocessor was introduced in the automobile in the late 1970s, it would have been absurd to suggest that electronics would represent 25% of base vehicle cost in 25 years. In fact, that's what happened. Software running on these microprocessors now goes far beyond the original duty to control fuel and spark. These days, it rescues drivers from tricky situations, protects the mechanicals from abuse, and self-diagnoses problems-all while keeping the driver comfortable and entertained.

Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit, which is dedicated to vehicle-related software technologies, researches trends in anticipation of future requirements for automotive software and services. Based on OEM requests for reduced costs and increased functionality, Microsoft sees the industry moving toward more sophisticated software systems. These systems will comprise components that “live” in the car as well as on the Internet. Such software systems will be responsible for significant changes in what customers expect from their vehicles, and may even change how the base vehicle is engineered.