IBM, Conti to Develop Cloud-Based Mobility System

Continental AG and International Business Machines Corp. are collaborating to create a global platform that can deliver a wide range of Web-based services to and among vehicles.

The two companies say their connected-vehicle system will include car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications using a combination of cloud and in-car technologies.

The partners envision a scalable cloud platform that can update a car's software without requiring a visit to a dealership, provide cloud-based voice recognition, exchange real-time traffic data and enable cars to signal nearby vehicles of traffic problems.

IBM will provide its "big data" and cloud computer expertise. Conti will contribute system expertise in automotive electronics. IBM says the partnership aims to prepare for a coming convergence of the auto and IT industries. Conti declares that future vehicles won't just be connected to the Internet, they will be part of it.

The Conti-IBM partnership comes a month after Conti and Cisco Systems Inc. unveiled a "proof of concept" system that shows how vehicles can securely link to a series of networks depending on their location and driver preference.