Automarkers become software companies

Software

Adds without heavy investment

More value to products

More freshness

Automakers

Invest in

Ford Motor Company

My Ford Touch Interface

In-dash touchscreen to select vehicles with control free navigation:

Music

Phone integration

Temperature

upgraded to add

Support for Pandora

Smartphone and tablet integration

Better voice responses

Create new software interface within months and update it over a life of a car without much lead time

can be used to

Alleviate urban congestion

Reserve parking spaces in advance

Make cars drive themselves

Customer

Cars needs

To be connected to a central system that coordinate with public transit and other transportation methods

To be equipped with software that can monitor and enhance vehicle function at the most basic levels

To feed incresing amounts of information systems whose purpose would be to minimize highway congestion

Industry standard

That does not exist yet

BMW

Can be used to

Develop ways for vehicles to communicate with each other on the road to avoid collisions

Believes apps will become atractive with BMWi electric and hybrid cars

Investments should be made for them to be

Updated

Tested

Apps

Mails USB sticks to customers with software upgrade to

Improve

Navigation controls

Music and phone features

Hability to control temperature

System speed

Automobile companies are enhancing their vehicles with on-board software that improves the customer experience

Customers should get into the habit of checking website for upgrades

Hired "human machine interface engineers"

Customer feedback allows to

Understand how customers interact with software in their cars

Give highlights about how to improve software

Ask dealers to dedicate more time and personel to hands-on technology training

Investing in mobile apps

Help customers deal master interface

GM

Daimer

Allows app developers to access its computer systems to improve app function

Privacy concerns

Users will be able to

Allows cars to be online in clouds

Remotly track their cars

Diagnose problems with the car

Using car sensors and engine readouts

Manufacturerers will be able to aggregate and analyze data from customers

Maybe customers from social media era don't worry about privacy issues

Auto analysts believe automakers will learn from mistakes as they learn how to handle sensitive customer data and to provide robust privacy options

That relly on premium services (auto analysts are skeptical)