Cloud computing is reimagining automobiles and trucks

Cloud computing is reimagining automobiles and trucks

Cloud-defined, cloud-operated automobiles are the automotive industry's future. The next cloud battleground will be innovating to make cars better, safer, and more efficient.

According to this Wall Street Journal article (behind a paywall), automobiles are becoming the focus of technology providers, including cloud providers. If you've been paying attention, you've probably noticed that automobiles are becoming more software-defined. Any Tesla owner will be able to tell you about a new capability or feature that was added as part of a software update.

Most automakers are moving in the same direction, providing a fully connected, software-defined product, though some are moving more slowly than others. The central component is a cloud-delivered back-end infrastructure capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of cars with safety, entertainment, and performance services that set that car apart from the competition. This is where the battles will be fought, as automobiles become extensions of cloud services with each model-year release.

This is a classic game. As a young software engineer in the 1990s, I worked on prototypes of automated and connected cars. Cars are increasingly defined by computer automation rather than horsepower or wheelbase. Most performance improvements are now made at the software level; major changes that require mechanical changes are mostly a thing of the past. 

What will happen next? How will these innovations benefit businesses?

To begin with, cars will be distinguished primarily by the cloud computing services that support them. Apple Car Play, for example, was a useful service that gave you another way to use your iPhone to listen to podcasts or use voice response for text messages. These systems now monitor driving systems, optimize performance, and address safety concerns.

What has changed? The operating system that defines your cell phone will be similar to the core system that defines your car. Instead of having separate systems work together to make the driving experience, unified systems will work in a shared operating environment.

The common system's back end will connect to cloud providers to perform more advanced "off-car processing," such as examining data from car sensors to determine if a maintenance event is likely to occur soon, using AI and petabytes of learning data to make that determination. It may even notice that your driving habits have changed, which could mean you have a health problem that needs to be fixed.

The key point is that the car will truly become an edge computer, with lighter-weight processing occurring on board in relation to the vehicle's safe operation. The more impressive stuff will happen on the backend cloud providers, which will house massive amounts of data as well as process-intensive AI and analytics systems. 

Self-driving trucks that can transport loads over long distances will benefit businesses by becoming part of a more predictable and reliable supply chain. Also, maintenance and fuel costs should go down, and trucks driven by people should be safer, more efficient, and more comfortable.

If they still do, employees should come to work in better spirits. Accidents, driving injuries, and deaths will be uncommon. Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but it isn't that far-fetched.

What you must realize is that things will continue to change. You'll wake up one day to find that your car has advanced to a new level of technological efficiency. This will also benefit your business. You can express your gratitude to a public cloud provider.