AWS Continues to Expand Its Automotive Footprint

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Toyota Motor Corporation will expand their collaboration in applying AWS's solutions to Toyota's Mobility Services Platform. The platform aims to provide an ecosystem for Toyota engineers across the world to develop, deploy and manage "the next generation of data-driven mobility services," while assuring safety, security, comfort and convenience in Toyota's cloud-connected vehicles.

“Connectivity drives all of the processes of development, production, sales and service in the automotive business. Expanding our agreement with AWS to strengthen our vehicle data platform will be a major advantage for CASE activities within Toyota," said Shigeki Tomoyama, Chief Information and Security Officer and Chief Production Officer at Toyota Motor corporation on a statement.

Toyota's platform will take advantage of how reliable and scalable AWS's global infrastructure is. The collaboration scheme will also allow the development of customized solutions of AWS Professional Services to process and analyze data from Toyota's worldwide fleet of connected vehicles. According to Toyota, its mobility platform and its corresponding Application Programming Interface (API) will allow to collect and analyze data for design and development. Some of the expected new "contextual services" are car sharing, ridesharing, full-service leasing, proactive vehicle maintenance notifications and driving-behavior-based insurance.

“Toyota is leveraging the unmatched breadth and depth of AWS services to transform how it develops and manages new mobility services across its entire ecosystem of connected vehicles around the world. By running on AWS, with its high performance, functionality and security, Toyota is able to innovate quickly across its enterprise and continue to lead the automotive industry in delivering the quality of experiences that customers expect,” said Andy Jassy, CEO of AWS.

Toyota also expects its collaboration with AWS to build the foundation for streamlined and secure data sharing throughout the company, thus accelerating its move toward CASE vehicle technologies.

As data cloud services become an urgent need to improve automakers' and suppliers’ operations, Toyota joins Volkswagen in announcing a major partnership with AWS towards cloud technologies. The German automaker announced in late July its plans to launch Industrial Cloud, another online platform that will serve Volkswagen's partners to contribute with software applications to optimize production processes.

Toyota Motor North America Announces Executive Changes

It cannot go unnoticed that Toyota is changing key managing position in North America since July, when the company appointed a new president for Toyota Motor de México.

Earlier this week, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) announced the retirement of Bill Fay, Senior Vice President of automotive operations. Jack Hollis, current Group Vice President and General manager of Toyota Division will be promoted to Fay’s former position effective on August 31. Hollis will be responsible for leading all sales, market representation, marketing and customer relations activities for Toyota and Lexus brands in Puerto Rico and Mexico. Hollis will report to Bob Carter, Executive Vice President of Sales at TMNA.