Ericsson and Microsoft joined forces to develop connected vehicle cloud services, in an effort to accelerate delivery of the next-generation cars while bringing down costs for automakers.

The partnership will enable Ericsson to build its Connected Vehicle Cloud platform on top of the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, the Sweden-based vendor said in a statement announcing the collaboration.

As a result of the move, Ericsson argued automakers will be able to “deploy and scale global vehicle services such as fleet management, over-the-air software updates and connected safety services much easier and faster while reducing costs”.

Asa Tamsons, SVP and head of business area Technologies and New Businesses at Ericsson commented: “The Ericsson and Microsoft partnership will deliver a comprehensive connected vehicle platform at scale to the market”.

She projected the platform will help automotive manufacturers accelerate their global connected vehicle solutions.

Peggy Johnson, EVP of business development at Microsoft, said the companies intended “to simplify the development of connected vehicle services to help car makers focus on their customers’ needs and accelerate the delivery of unique, tailor-made driving experiences”.

Ericsson stated its Connected Vehicle Cloud platform had connected more than 4 million vehicles in 180 countries to date, which represented nearly 10 per cent of the market.

The company also said Microsoft’s platform for connected vehicles provided the base for building applications including infotainment, advanced navigation and autonomous driving.

In a panel discussion at MWC19 Shanghai Harry Qiao, IoT connected vehicle sales engagement principal at Ericsson for China, argued the automotive industry was in the midst of its biggest transformation in a generation.