Ericsson connects Volvos

Volvo is no stranger to interconnecting its vehicles, being one of the first on the road with autonomous vehicles and sparking companies such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Honda amongst others to come clean about their own connected-vehicle initiatives.

Now Volvo has announced a partnership with fellow Swede, phone Ericsson, to deliver innovations for automotive internet services.

“We clearly see that cars in the near future will integrate the same level of digital services that consumers today are used to have in their homes or at work,” said Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Product Strategy and Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Cars.

“This is a strategically important part of Volvo Cars' investments for the future where we intend to take a leading position.”

Ericsson is a 130-year-old company and - having been pushed out of the mobile phone business, despite its close association with electronics giant Sony - has diverted the focus of its business towards consultation in technology innovation.

The plan is to define and deliver cloud-based and connected infotainment and communication apps to Volvo vehicles.

Drivers and passengers will be able to download applications, create an on-line service booking and interact with partners through the Connected Vehicle Cloud built on Ericsson's Service Enablement Platform.

“Ericsson is a perfect partner for Volvo Cars, bringing extensive experience and global technology understanding to the table. On top of this both companies share the same ambition to develop industry-leading solutions in line with our shared vision of the future based on a networked society,” said Mr Kerssemakers.

The partnership is focused on the rapid development of Volvo Cars' stand-alone scalable product architecture (SPA). However, expect connected car services to roll out in all new Volvo cars beforehand in order to position Volvo Cars for future enhancements.

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