Car.Software Organisation
Car.Software Organisation and Microsoft will build a cloud-based platform for the development of automated driving functions. Credit: Alexander Jawfox on Unsplash.

German automaker Volkswagen has announced that its software company Car.Software Organisation will be collaborating with Microsoft on the development of automated driving (AD) solutions.

Through this partnership, Volkswagen Group aims to further strengthen its capabilities for developing AD solutions.

Car.Software Organisation and Microsoft will build a Cloud-based automated driving platform (ADP) for the agile development of automated driving functions.

The Cloud-based platform is expected to help Car.Software Organisation simplify its development processes on Microsoft Azure and bring automated driving solutions to the group’s cars even faster.

In addition, the Azure-based ADP is expected to further enhance Car.Software Organisation’s efficiency for developing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and AD functions across Volkswagen passenger cars.

ADAS and automated driving vehicles are said to improve passenger safety, as well as reduce traffic congestion.

Car.Software Organisation CEO Dirk Hilgenberg said: “As we transform Volkswagen Group into a digital mobility provider, we are looking to continuously increase the efficiency of our software development.

“We are building the automated driving platform with Microsoft to simplify our developers’ work through one scalable and data-based engineering environment.

“By combining our comprehensive expertise in the development of connected driving solutions with Microsoft’s cloud and software engineering know-how, we will accelerate the delivery of safe and comfortable mobility services.”

Since 2018, the two companies have been strategic partners on the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud technology.

The Volkswagen Automotive Cloud has been designed to test, deploy and operate automated driving functions.

Microsoft Cloud and AI executive vice-president Scott Guthrie said: “This is the next evolution of our foundational work with the Volkswagen Group to enhance their transformation as a software-driven mobility provider.”

“The power of Microsoft Azure and its compute, data and AI capabilities will enable Volkswagen to deliver secure and reliable automated driving solutions to their customers faster.”