Siemens and Microsoft team up on in-vehicle computing

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Technorati Tags: Cars , Automotive , In-vehicle software , manufacturing , Car OS

Interesting story came out today here. It's interesting for a few reasons:

  1. Siemens VDO (the automotive unit) will build solutions for Auto OEMs on Microsoft's consumer focused, in-vehicle computing platform.  This platform is often called, Windows Automotive, but here is called Microsoft Automotive.  (And formerly called Windows Mobile for Automotive).  Not sure yet if this is another "real" name change or not.  The first products will be available in 2009. 
  2. Conceptually, you can think of this as quite similar to the relationship that Microsoft has today with the many, many ISVs and system builders that build solutions on the Windows, .Net, Windows Mobile, Windows Live, and Office platforms. Siemens VDO is like an ISV or system builder in this sense.  Of course, as one of the very first, they have more influence than most ISVs in the enterprise and consumer software spaces would have today. 
  3. The article reminds us of that Continental is buying Siemens VDO.  After their purchase of Motorola's automotive business a while back, they are turning into a real powerhouse of automotive computing. 
  4. That's probably good for Continental.  I've blogged before on the rising importance of software and computing within the vehicle.  The article adds more evidence of this, citing expected growth of 42% ($38B to $54B) over the next 5 years just for the automotive infotainment part.  And of course, the percent of in-vehicle part of that number that is software (vs. hardware) will continue to go through the roof, IMO. 

 

Other thoughts?