Cab Aggregator Ola Teams Up With Microsoft To Build A Futuristic Connected Vehicle Platform

After smartphones, it's time for smartcars; Ola, Microsoft join hands to build new connected vehicle platform

Microsoft chief executive officer (CEO) Satya Nadella today spoke at India Today Conclave Next 2017 where he talked about how India is using its own information technology (IT) prowess in the different sectors. He also talked about various ways in which the tech giant wants to empower common people.

As a part of the company's plan to bring businesses, governments and people together, Microsoft has partnered with cab aggregator Ola to build a new connected vehicle platform for car makers worldwide.
Ola will now use Microsoft Azure to power Ola Play, the company's existing connected car platform."Today's car is quickly becoming the ultimate computing device and together with Ola, we're focused on providing more intelligent, connected and productive experiences to our customers," said Satya Nadella.
Under the partnership, Ola customers will be able to use productivity tools such as Office 365 and Skype for Business, as well as voice-assisted controls built using Microsoft Cognitive Services and Bot framework, in-car during their rides. "The combination of Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and our AI platform with Ola Play will deliver new customer experiences and business opportunities across the automotive ecosystem," said Nadella.
Ola Play is the company's connected car platform for ridesharing, which will now leverage Microsoft AI and IoT to enhance driver experiences with telematics and navigation guidance, and passenger experiences with cloud-based infotainment and productivity.
Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of Ola, said, "Globally, the auto industry is experiencing a seismic shift as the definition of automobiles is increasingly changing from gas-powered vehicles to technology-packed, connected devices. With Ola Play, we have already set the tone for connected vehicles in India; together with Microsoft, we can make the new platform available to a larger, global audience and unlock futuristic experiences for customers worldwide."
The company claims that the new platform will transform a car into a high-performing, intelligent vehicle, capable of assessing fuel efficiency, engine performance, and driver performance. It will also enable smarter navigation and predict breakdowns, enhancing safety. The platform is designed to continually collect, analyze, and learn from high volumes of data and user behaviour. This will allow for customised offerings to shape the nature of services and business models, such as usage-based insurance, amongst others.
Ola's chief data scientist Dr Badri Raghvan said during the India Today Conclave Next 2017: As a mobility company we are interested in leveraging tech using artificaial intelligence. In our cabs we are working to get spoken Indian languages. We are interested in improving safety. We are working on drowsiness detection using AI.