Gimme_my_MME

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UPDATED WITH FORD PRESS RELEASE:

Ford and Google to Accelerate Auto Innovation, Reinvent Connected Vehicle Experience
  • Ford and Google come together in first-of-its-kind partnership to create unique services and capabilities for Ford and Lincoln customers, and to accelerate Ford’s transformation plan
  • Ford has also named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider to leverage Google’s world-class expertise in data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML)
  • As part of this new, six-year partnership—and beginning in 2023—millions of future Ford and Lincoln vehicles at all price points will be powered by Android, with Google apps and services built-in
  • To drive ongoing innovation, Ford and Google are establishing a new collaborative group, Team Upshift, that will push the boundaries of Ford’s transformation, unlock personalized consumer experiences, and drive disruptive, data-driven opportunities
Dearborn, Mich., and Sunnyvale, Calif., Feb. 1, 2021 – Ford and Google today announced a unique strategic partnership to accelerate Ford’s transformation and reinvent the connected vehicle experience. Ford has also named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider to leverage Google’s world-class expertise in data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML). As part of this new, six-year partnership—and beginning in 2023—millions of future Ford and Lincoln vehicles at all price points will be powered by Android, with Google apps and services built-in.

To drive ongoing innovation, Ford and Google are establishing a new collaborative group, Team Upshift. Leveraging the talent and assets of both companies, Team Upshift will push the boundaries of Ford’s transformation, unlock personalized consumer experiences, and drive disruptive, data-driven opportunities. This may include projects ranging from developing new retail experiences when buying a vehicle, creating new ownership offers based on data, and more.

“As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establishes an innovation powerhouse truly able to deliver a superior experience for our customers and modernize our business,” said Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford.

“From the first moving assembly line to the latest driver-assist technology, Ford has set the pace of innovation for the automotive industry for nearly 120 years,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. “We’re proud to partner to apply the best of Google’s AI, data analytics, compute and cloud platforms to help transform Ford's business and build automotive technologies that keep people safe and connected on the road.”

As its preferred cloud provider and starting later this year, Google will help Ford leverage Google Cloud’s AI, ML and data analytics technologies to accelerate the automaker’s digital transformation, modernize operations, and power connected vehicle technologies with Google’s trusted, secure, and reliable cloud. With Google Cloud, Ford plans to:

  • Further improve customer experiences for customers with differentiated technology and personalized services;
  • Accelerate modernization of product development, manufacturing and supply chain management, including exploration of using vision AI for manufacturing employee training and even more reliable plant equipment performance;
  • Fast track the implementation of data-driven business models resulting in customers receiving real-time notices such as maintenance requests or trade-in alerts.
Ford and Google have a shared vision to bring enjoyable, safer and more efficient connected vehicle experiences built to minimize driver distraction and keep customers at the forefront of technology with over-the-air updates. Beginning in 2023, Ford and Lincoln customers globally will start to benefit from unique digital experiences built on top of the Android operating system and with Google apps and services built-in, which include world-class map and voice technology:

  • With Google Assistant, drivers can keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, by getting things done with just their voice.
  • With Google Maps as the vehicles’ primary navigation, drivers can reach their destination faster with information on real-time traffic, automatic rerouting, lane guidance and more.
  • With Google Play, drivers will have access to their favorite apps for listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks and more. These apps are optimized and integrated for in-vehicle use.
  • Android in the car also enables Ford and third-party developers to build apps that provide a constantly improving and ever-more-personalized ownership experience.
“We are obsessed with creating must-have, distinctively Ford products and services,” said Farley. “This integration will unleash our teams to innovate for Ford and Lincoln customers while seamlessly providing access to Google’s world-class apps and services.”


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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...tm_source=url_link&utm_medium=bd&cmpId=google

Google Snags Ford Cloud Partnership in Coup Over Microsoft
Deal includes Android license fees for every Ford and Lincoln car sold starting in 2023

By Nico Grant

February 1, 2021, 11:00 AM EST

Thomas Kurian, chief executive officer of cloud services of Google, during a telecast of the SoftBank World event in Tokyo arranged in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on Oct. 29, 2020.

Google signed a six-year deal with Ford Motor Co. that will bring Android technology to the automaker’s cars and cloud services to its factory floor, in a triumph for the internet giant over rival Microsoft Corp.

Google Cloud Platform will be Ford’s “preferred cloud provider” and the partners will form an innovation team to jointly work on future projects, the companies said Monday in a statement. Ford vehicle navigation screens will be powered by an Android operating system starting in 2023 and the automaker will adopt Google’s artificial intelligence and data-analytics technology.

The companies did not disclose the value of their deal, but Google will receive revenue from cloud services as well as an Android license fee for every Ford and Lincoln vehicle sold starting in 2023.
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agoldman

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considering they are already having connectyion problems with Android with some if the early deliveries, I'm not so sure about this news.
 

SashaLondon

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Having said that does this mean that the navigation data is coming from google and the car systems stay the same?
 


RonTCat

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Well, I would think this means Google has lost the Cloud war to Amazon and Microsoft, and Ford got a bargain basement price for cloud services as they struggle to find customers. At least maybe Android Auto will get some love now.
 

GoGoGadgetMachE

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Well, I would think this means Google has lost the Cloud war to Amazon and Microsoft, and Ford got a bargain basement price for cloud services as they struggle to find customers. At least maybe Android Auto will get some love now.
I would take this differently. Microsoft and Amazon are absolutely the cloud leaders by a lot, but Google keeps trying to make GCP a thing. This is a major coup for them from a sales viewpoint, no matter what the actual revenue is. The cloud revenue pie is still growing, so it's too soon to say anyone "lost."

If I were Ford, and I was looking to replace QNX for some reason, the only real game at this point is Android Automotive. If Google made the license cost sufficiently competitive, and the cloud services cost competitive, it ends up being a win for both companies.

Also, most of GCP tends to kind of be garbage and the industry knows it, but AI and Big Data is a place where they are respected, and that's exactly what Ford is going for here.

As far as CarPlay etc. Polestar has committed to it in their cars (might be there already even), and newer Google TV (or whatever they call their garbage Android-based TV platform this week) devices are shipping with AirPlay support, so this would not concern me as an Apple user from that viewpoint. Now, from a privacy viewpoint, that's a whole different thing. Ford says that data sharing will be opt-in to Google, but I think they are using weasel words here - because I don't see how you'll be able to use a Google Maps-based nav system without sharing data for example. So while it might be technically true, it might not be practically true.

It also occurs to me as I was typing this that HERE is a major loser here as well.
 

AFVolt

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As it says they will collect a licensing fee for every car produced starting in 2023, would this mean cars prior would not be able to be upgraded, and are left with an abandoned OS?
 

RonTCat

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As it says they will collect a licensing fee for every car produced starting in 2023, would this mean cars prior would not be able to be upgraded, and are left with an abandoned OS?
Highly unlikely. Either the old system support continues, or there is a migration to new OS.
 

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If I were Ford, and I was looking to replace QNX for some reason, the only real game at this point is Android Automotive.
Very true, but I'm hoping this doesn't happen anytime soon.
 

GoGoGadgetMachE

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Very true, but I'm hoping this doesn't happen anytime soon.
Edit: from Ford and Google to Accelerate Auto Innovation, Reinvent Connected Vehicle Experience | Ford Media Center we can say with like 99%+ certainty that QNX is completely going away, especially when there's talk of an Android license fee for every vehicle, at least at any level we as owners would care about (is there some underlying real-time stuff not Android? no idea. wouldn't matter for us in this discussion)

What does this mean for us with our brand-new Sync 4a QNX-based systems?

Ford Mustang Mach-E Android Will Power Ford Vehicle Navigation Starting in 2023 1612198678578


I sure as hell want to be wrong here. I haven't wanted to be wrong about something this much in a long time.
 

RonTCat

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I would take this differently. Microsoft and Amazon are absolutely the cloud leaders by a lot, but Google keeps trying to make GCP a thing. This is a major coup for them from a sales viewpoint, no matter what the actual revenue is. The cloud revenue pie is still growing, so it's too soon to say anyone "lost."

If I were Ford, and I was looking to replace QNX for some reason, the only real game at this point is Android Automotive. If Google made the license cost sufficiently competitive, and the cloud services cost competitive, it ends up being a win for both companies.

Also, most of GCP tends to kind of be garbage and the industry knows it, but AI and Big Data is a place where they are respected, and that's exactly what Ford is going for here.

As far as CarPlay etc. Polestar has committed to it in their cars (might be there already even), and newer Google TV (or whatever they call their garbage Android-based TV platform this week) devices are shipping with AirPlay support, so this would not concern me as an Apple user from that viewpoint. Now, from a privacy viewpoint, that's a whole different thing. Ford says that data sharing will be opt-in to Google, but I think they are using weasel words here - because I don't see how you'll be able to use a Google Maps-based nav system without sharing data for example. So while it might be technically true, it might not be practically true.

It also occurs to me as I was typing this that HERE is a major loser here as well.
Makes sense. Farley might view QNX, and developing an "auto OS", differently than his predecessors. He must not think this is a core skill Ford should have, and someone else can do it cheaper, like Google.

For those who are worried about Ford knowing where your car is at all times, this is not just a Ford thing. I think if your car was stolen, local police could call most major carmakers and have the location of the car (within 30 feet) in about 5 minutes. OTA cuts both ways.
 

BlueMach

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Hopefully the OTA process can OTA a new OS to our cars. The last thing I want is to take delivery of a $50k+ brick after 2 years. I expect long-term support and this is making me nervous.
 

RonTCat

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Edit: from Ford and Google to Accelerate Auto Innovation, Reinvent Connected Vehicle Experience | Ford Media Center we can say with like 99%+ certainty that QNX is completely going away, especially when there's talk of an Android license fee for every vehicle, at least at any level we as owners would care about (is there some underlying real-time stuff not Android? no idea. wouldn't matter for us in this discussion)

What does this mean for us with our brand-new Sync 4a QNX-based systems?

Ford Mustang Mach-E Android Will Power Ford Vehicle Navigation Starting in 2023 1612198678578


I sure as hell want to be wrong here. I haven't wanted to be wrong about something this much in a long time.
The owner of the car will likely never know there was a migration, if there is one.
 

Mach-E VLOG

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For Ford and Google this is fantastic news. For us with QNX based Sync 4A... not so much but let's wait and see.

I think it is great that Ford is partnering with Google. We have heard rumors that Apple has been in talks with a manufacturer to partner on something - maybe even an Apple car. Hyundai sorta let it slip they were one of the companies negotiating with Apple.

If Ford wasn't one of the companies Apple was interested in working with, Ford needed to move quickly and they did. The only other real choice for large tech companies that have an OS, map system, large data processing, AI and more is Google.

This partnership won't be exclusive, but Ford is first on it.
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