Ford Invests in Pivotal to Accelerate Cloud-Based Software Development; New Labs Drive Ford Smart Mobility Innovation
May 05 2016 - 7:30AM
Business Wire
- Ford invests $182.2 million in Pivotal,
a cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, to
further strengthen its core software abilities and deliver
innovations to customers more quickly
- The investment is part of Ford’s
expansion to be both an auto and a mobility company
- Already partners, Ford and Pivotal now
will expand the use of advanced software development methodologies,
analytics tools and a cloud platform throughout Ford’s Product
Development and IT teams, including new software labs to support
Ford Smart Mobility
- Ford CIO Marcy Klevorn will join the
board of directors at Pivotal
Ford today announces an investment in Pivotal, a cloud-based
software platform company headquartered in San Francisco, to
further enhance its software development capabilities and deliver
innovations to customers more quickly.
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Ford and Pivotal employees work together
on a new Dynamic Shuttle app at Pivotal headquarters in April.
(Photo: Business Wire)
The $182.2 million investment in Pivotal aims to help drive
Ford’s transition to an auto and a mobility company. Ford is
continuing to focus on and invest in its core business – designing,
manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing cars, SUVs,
trucks and electrified vehicles. At the same time, the company is
aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart
Mobility – its plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility,
autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and
analytics.
“Expanding our business to be both an auto and mobility company
requires leading-edge software expertise to deliver outstanding
customer experiences,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO.
“Our investment in Pivotal will help strengthen our ability to
deliver these customer experiences at the speed of Silicon Valley,
including continually expanding FordPass® – our digital, physical
and personal mobility experience platform.”
Expanding a relationship
Ford recently teamed up with Pivotal to deliver FordPass, an
innovative consumer experience platform that launched last month.
FordPass will offer new customer services, like remote access to
vehicles through a smartphone app, and mobility solutions, such as
parking and car sharing. Innovating and iterating quickly, Pivotal
and Ford IT engineers are working side-by-side to create new
consumer experiences for FordPass members.
Building on this existing relationship, Ford plans to accelerate
the incorporation of Pivotal’s advanced software development
methodologies and technology across the IT, product development,
and research and advanced engineering teams. Ford will put
Pivotal’s next-generation cloud platform and analytics capabilities
to use on the company’s new mobility projects – such as its
on-demand Dynamic Shuttle pilot program.
“Today we are at a major inflection point in global business,
and Pivotal is at the fulcrum of that change,” said Rob Mee,
Pivotal CEO. “We are collaborating with iconic companies like Ford
to help transform their businesses with our unique software
development methodology and modern cloud platform and analytics
tools. We are thrilled to create a deeper partnership with Ford
through this investment as we drive its evolution to becoming both
an auto and mobility company – reinventing yet again how the world
moves.”
Building more software expertise
Pivotal’s advanced software development methodologies and cloud
platform complement Ford’s already strong embedded software
capability that supports EcoBoost® engines, the SYNC® 3
connectivity system, driver-assist technologies like active park
assist and more.
Software plays a growing role in new vehicles as demonstrated by
the all-new F-150 that features more than 150 million lines of
code, whereas a typical smartphone operating system has
approximately 12 million lines. Engineers are capitalizing on
software to deliver precise control over aspects of vehicle
performance such as engine and transmission calibration to improve
fuel economy and for the connectivity experience by giving
customers hands-free access to their smartphones through SYNC
3.
In fact, the very success of EcoBoost engine technology can be
attributed to software. Software is the secret sauce to the fuel
efficiency EcoBoost delivers because it allows engineers to
maximize the use of each drop of fuel at a molecular level. Ford
has 275 patents on EcoBoost technology and another 200 pending,
with a large majority covering aspects of software controls and
calibration.
“Investing in Pivotal builds on our current strengths in
software development,” said Marcy Klevorn, Ford vice president and
CIO, who will join the board of directors at Pivotal. “We plan to
quickly add new state-of-the-art software engineering capabilities
across the Ford enterprise.”
In addition, Ford and Pivotal plan to open new software labs in
strategic locations in both the United States and Europe. The labs
will be staffed with software architects, engineers and user
experience experts – all using Pivotal’s advanced software
development methodology. Ford’s investment in Pivotal is subject to
customary regulatory approval.
Related news
Ford Teams with Pivotal to Speed Development of Connected Car
Experiences Capitalizing on New Ford SYNC Connect
Ford, Pivotal Collaborate on Software Platform for FordPass; Aim
to Revolutionize Mobility for Consumers
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company
based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 201,000 employees and 67
plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing,
manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line of
Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as
Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford is aggressively
pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the
company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous
vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics. For more
information regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor
Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and
high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.
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Ford Motor CompanyAlan Hall313.337.9618ahall32@ford.com
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