[Am-info] Microsoft, Accenture To Sell Software To Automakers

[Fred A. Miller]

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Microsoft, Accenture To Sell Software To Automakers

Microsoft and consulting firm Accenture will jointly develop 
and sell automotive telematics software and services to 
carmakers and related suppliers. The systems, which put 
wireless computers into cars and trucks, are best known in
consumer incarnations such as OnStar, the General Motors Corp. 
service that provides drivers with navigation help, emergency 
assistance, and information services such as stock quotes. With 
this venture, Microsoft and Accenture aim to expand the nature 
of those services and make them easier to implement.

"Everyone talks about consumer applications, but we believe the 
potential for telematics is just limitless," says Umar Riaz, 
partner with the automotive industry group at Accenture. He 
says the partnership will also examine more business-oriented 
applications, including tracking truck drivers and letting gas
companies remotely charge for fill-ups. "The insurance industry 
is very interested in being able to monitor driving behavior 
and usage, which would enable them to price their premiums more 
accurately," he says.

The two companies will jointly develop complete telematics 
systems, picking out everything from hardware to software 
platforms, and will work with automakers (focusing on the top 
five) to set up the systems in new cars, says Gonzalo 
Bustillos, director of business development and marketing for 
the automotive business unit at Microsoft. Data services for 
the systems will be delivered through Microsoft's Car .Net 
initiative, he says, and its Windows CE operating system will 
also figure prominently.

The automotive telematics market is set to boom, says Frost and 
Sullivan automotive analyst Meenakshi Ganjoo. "It's a market 
that is in its infancy at this stage," she says, "but by 2006, 
telematics products and services will be worth close to $7 
billion." Ganjoo says commercial applications (like OnStar)
will lead that growth, but business applications will take off 
quickly as companies see their value. - David M. Ewalt

For more, go to:
Could You Send My Car An E-Mail About That?
http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eFdD0Bce7K0V20TPS0AO

Keep Your Hands On The Steering Wheel
http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eFdD0Bce7K0V20SzS0A4

- -- 
Fred A. Miller
Systems Administrator
Cornell Univ. Press Services
fm@cupserv.org

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