Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Microsoft Corp. took Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday to provide Internet connectivity services in any Toyota car in the world.
The world's largest software company with the largest car maker will invest 12 million dollars (1 billion yen) in Toyota Media Service Co., a unit of Toyota that handles digital technology to customers.
Toyota plans to install Internet-based "cloud computing" of the Microsoft Azure platform in 2015, so that Toyota customers worldwide can access the digital service of Toyota, such as GPS, multimedia, and the ability to monitor the power on an electric-powered cars and hybrids.
One of Toyota's service plan is to monitor and integrate the use of electric power in homes and cars to maximize efficiency, eg electrical charging on the car automatically economically with electricity tariffs.
Toyota's profit from Internet service to Toyota customers in 170 countries through the use of Microsoft's cloud platform, rather than designing a network of data centers in each country.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda visited the Microsoft headquarters in Seattle, USA, to announce the partnership with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Toyoda said he was initially hesitant to leave his office in Japan who are struggling rose after the earthquake last month, but give priority to business opportunities in the future is the best way to help the recovery of Japan.
Microsoft has teamed up with Toyota for more than a decade, but the joint announcement on Wednesday is a signal from the escalation of their cooperation.
Software companies recently is working with Ford Motor Co. technology for the automobile industry, reported Reuters.
