Automotive manufacturer Ford has recently been working on modernizing its processes and technologies used at the company. A couple of years ago, it partnered with Volkswagen to share electric and self-driving vehicle technology. Today, it has announced a multi-year collaboration with Google.
In a Medium post, Ford has stated that it has partnered with Google to form a new group called "Team Upshift", which consists of employees from both the firms. Together, the two parties will be working to enhance existing processes using technologies such as computer vision and machine learning, and also enable data-driven innovations in the future.
Naturally, Google Cloud has been tapped as the strategic cloud provider for this purpose, allowing Ford to leverage the platform and seamlessly integrate Android services in its network consisting of connected vehicles. It went on to say that:
Historically, we’ve thought of products first and services second. As a company whose history is steeped in manufacturing, that’s only natural. But as industry and customer needs shift, it’s critical that we focus just as much on services as we do our vehicles. Teaming up with Google allows us to accelerate our ability to challenge our current ownership model and deploy new business models to capture recurring revenue and profit from software, data and connected ecosystems.
Some areas in which Ford is looking to improve in are personalized services, supply chain management, and rapid implementation of business models. By 2023, the automaker aims to offer Android and other Google services in its cars. The firm hopes that by using Android Auto, its software engineers will be able to shift focus from OS development to building unique and engaging digital experiences for customers.