The driving force of technology

It's probably still fair to say that the first thing that comes to people's minds when you say 'automotive industry' is four wheels and a motor. But what people often don't appreciate is how much the automotive industry is doing to develop new digital solutions and apply those solutions to everyday problems that even non-vehicle users face.

Earlier this week Ford announced a tie-up with tech titan Salesforce. The parties will launch VIIZR, which is a SaaS tool. The aim of VIIZR is to improve what the parties refer to as 'field services', specifically for oft-neglected small business. 'Field services' is basically a way of describing the management of mobile ops for companies that need to move around to perform their services, such as plumbers and electricians. Typically this involves the use of vehicles. Ford therefore brings its vast connected vehicle data to the table and integrates this into a platform built on Salesforce’s existing field services expertise. The result allows small and medium-size businesses to keep day-to-day field services admin all in one place, including the management of the business’ fleet of vehicles.

This is just the latest example of how the big marques in the automotive world are becoming more than the sum of their (car) parts. And investment into SaaS products like VIIZR is just one of the major growth areas. Car makers are also a key part of the Mobility-as-a-Service revolution, helping to develop the digitised and interconnected transport infrastructure that will improve the way we all get around. Expect to see those famous logos, traditionally confined to the front grill of a vehicle, spreading out further into our daily lives.