Wipro unveils a new "Cloud Car" platform for automakers

Wipro Limited on Wednesday announced the launch of its "Cloud Car" platform, which will be unveiled during the Engineering the Cloud Car Ecosystem panel at MWC Barcelona.

Wipro's Cloud Car platform will bring together its Wipro FullStride Cloud Services and engineering capabilities with a best-in-class partner ecosystem as well as consortiums. A first in the industry, the platform will deliver automakers an integrated, cloud-native software solution—equipped with an end-to-end cybersecurity system—to help them innovate faster at a lower cost and keep software-defined vehicles (SDVs) digitally relevant for years.

Wipro's Cloud Car platform will decouple previously integrated software and hardware, enabling manufacturers to validate and upgrade software at an unmatched digital scale. As a result, generations of owners will be able to customize their vehicles based on their unique and changing needs. Automobile manufacturers, on the other hand, will be able to address software failures via over-the-air updates, without having to resort to physical recalls. The 'always-on,' 'feature-on-demand' functionality will come with robust cyber security and functional safety architecture and will help increase vehicles' residual value.

Wipro's Cloud Car ecosystem includes more than 40 partners, focusing on these key technologies:

1. Connectivity

2. Cloud computing

3. Silicon manufacturing

4. Open-source software solutions

5. Middleware and mechatronics

6. Mobility

"Today, most SDVs come with pre-set features that are difficult and time-consuming to upgrade, rendering them outdated as new technologies come to market," said Thomas Mueller, CTO, Engineering and R&D Services, Wipro Limited. He further added, "Our goal is to make it possible for automobile manufacturers to deliver vehicles that get better every day, so both they and generations of owners can drive better return on investments."

"By 2030, the vast majority of new vehicles will be SDVs," added Mueller. "These cars will connect in real-time with the world around them. They will leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to constantly gather data, provide valuable information and, eventually, make autonomous decisions. Unlocking the true potential of SDVs will require moving them to the cloud. We are fast-forwarding to that future by making the Cloud Car ecosystem available to every automotive company in the world today."

The Cloud Car platform will also leverage a 'shadow mode' architecture, working passively in the background, gathering and consolidating data from sensors and cameras as well as the driver, which, over time, will help with the validation and safety of autonomous functionalities.