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Tag: cloud platform

  • Volkswagen Chooses Microsoft Azure to Accelerate Autonomous Driving

    Volkswagen Chooses Microsoft Azure to Accelerate Autonomous Driving

    Volkswagen has announced it is partnering with Microsoft to use Azure to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles.

    The majority of automakers are working on autonomous driving as the next major evolution of the auto industry. Various automakers are taking different approaches, with Volkswagen indicating it wants to develop its autonomous software in-house.

    To aid in that goal, Volkswagen’s software company, Car.Software Organisation, will work with Microsoft to use Azure to help build a cloud-based Automated Driving Platform (ADP). Running ADP on Azure will allow Volkswagen to develop the platform faster and scale it globally.

    “As we transform Volkswagen Group into a digital mobility provider, we are looking to continuously increase the efficiency of our software development. We are building the Automated Driving Platform with Microsoft to simplify our developers’ work through one scalable and data-based engineering environment. By combining our comprehensive expertise in the development of connected driving solutions with Microsoft’s cloud and software engineering know-how, we will accelerate the delivery of safe and comfortable mobility services,” said Dirk Hilgenberg, CEO of the Car.Software Organisation.

    “This is the next evolution of our foundational work with the Volkswagen Group to enhance their transformation as a software-driven mobility provider,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president, Cloud + AI at Microsoft. “The power of Microsoft Azure and its compute, data and AI capabilities will enable Volkswagen to deliver secure and reliable automated driving solutions to their customers faster.”

    Snagging the world’s largest automaker, the Volkswagen Group, is a big win for Microsoft, especially in the wake of Ford’s decision to use Google Cloud for its connected vehicle efforts. Ford had long been a Microsoft partner, relying on the tech company’s software for its vehicles’ navigation and entertainment systems.

  • Walmart Joins Forces With Microsoft to Fend Off Amazon

    Walmart Joins Forces With Microsoft to Fend Off Amazon

    In its bid to overtake its largest rival, Walmart announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft on Tuesday. According to the biggest US retailer, the company inked a five-year deal with the tech giant to speed up its digital transformation for a faster shopping experience online. Walmart will be utilizing an array of Microsoft’s cloud solutions as its preferred provider.

    It’s no secret that Walmart and Microsoft are two of Amazon’s closest rivals in retail and cloud computing, respectively. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the battle against Amazon was “absolutely core” to his company’s teamup with Walmart. He further stated, “How do we get more leverage as two organizations that have depth and breadth and investment to be able to outrun our respective competition?”

    Under the deal, Walmart will use Microsoft’s machine learning and AI technologies to optimize the retailer’s entire supply chain and improve its delivery system. With the Internet of Things platform on Microsoft’s Azure, the retailer can better manage which products should go on the shelves from the ones that go into the refrigeration units. This is one way to reduce costs in operating its physical stores.

    Utilizing technology to assess operations seems to be one of Amazon’s strong suits, one that Walmart appears to lack. Over the past few years, the online retailer has developed its cloud computing business, Amazon Web Services, to become the leading cloud service provider. Microsoft, however, remains second in terms of market share with Azure, but still a worthy alternative for other companies.   

    Although Walmart has developed its own cloud computing operation, it wasn’t as extensive as Amazon’s or Microsoft’s. The retailer only began using Azure recently when it acquired Jet.com, whose operations ran entirely on Microsoft’s cloud platform.  

    Walmart has been more open to the idea of working with tech firms to enhance its systems and improve shopping experience. Last year, it teamed up with Google by adding some of its Walmart.com products on Google Express to allow for voice-ordered purchases, directly competing with Amazon’s Alexa. And for its back-to-school offering, Walmart has also launched its app for faster location of items in-store.   

    Microsoft, on the other hand, has been teaming up with other brick-and-mortar retailers, such as Macy’s and Marks & Spencer, for better retail experience using artificial intelligence.

    Despite the strategic alliance, Walmart won’t be using the tech giant’s services for its planned cashierless stores – another area where Amazon has taken an early lead with its Amazon Go store in Seattle. Microsoft, however, is still keen on developing hardware and software solutions for automated grocery stores, even if it’s not for Walmart.

    [Featured image via Walmart.com]