Two giants from vastly different sectors meet in a collaboration that, I must admit, made me a bit wary at first glance. Unless you put a computer on wheels, I had a hard time imagining what Microsoft could bring to a tire manufacturer. But the answer is simple. Thanks to the computer company’s Azure technology, Bridgestone will be able to speed up the development and marketing of its new products.
The Japanese company says it is in order to create tire innovations that will meet their E8 specifications. The latter is a set of eight values, each beginning with the letter “E”. Here, Bridgestone wants to harness the power of IT to support the values of “efficiency,” “extension” and “economy”. Basically, more efficient, less expensive and greener products.
Cloud-based technology
The connected tire market is growing, and the partnership with Microsoft should allow Bridgestone to improve its offering in this area. This is mainly because of the integration of Azure cloud technology that will facilitate the large-scale distribution of these products. In practical terms, for consumers, this translates into features like advanced and predictive maintenance analysis based on your usage.
Using such data in the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform will allow Bridgestone to display all sorts of information about your tires. This can be particularly useful in a commercial context where such statistics have a monetary value.
Microsoft even at work?
The Japanese company has also informed us of the integration of Azure technology into its daily operation. In order to increase productivity at work, it will implement a more agile infrastructure which should result in an improvement of the general efficiency. This remains to be seen, but the idea of a more agile method of developing new products is interesting, especially for potential new customers!
Let’s not pretend, however, that Bridgestone’s current offering has anything to be ashamed of when compared to other brands. The range offered on Blackcircles.ca includes a large number of tire models adapted to different uses and different types of vehicles. SUV owners, for example, can look to the Ecopia line, such as the EP422 Plus. If you have a more luxurious and sporty vehicle, the Potenza line will have everything you need!
