The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

113 Microsoft AI breakthroughs  AUTOMOT I V E is Bridgestone’s tyre-damage alert system, which uses limited tyre and non-tyre data from Microsoft’s connected vehicle platform to infer when and where tyre damage has taken place. The Microsoft Azure cloud can be used to host an array of open source and commercial AI and ML solutions, but there is also an exten- sive portfolio of Microsoft’s own technologies. These include Azure ML, a suite of tooling and support for an end-to-end lifecycle of machine learning solution development; Azure Cognitive Search, which supports extraction of meaning from unstructured data; Cognitive Services, which allows non-experts to derive value from AI in a number of scenarios; the Bot Service, which simplifies development of conversational interfaces and organising access to support information; and the Bonsai service, which allows compact and high-performance ‘brains’ to be developed with a combination of directed and unsupervised learning. An exam- ple of the latter is a user scenario by Siemens, who were able to improve computer numerical control machine calibration from a process requiring an engineer visit and two to three hours, to one which requires only 13 seconds. How do you put this all together and extract immediate value from investments in data? A coherent enterprise data platform can be constructed leveraging the power, scale and efficiency of the Azure cloud, supporting data from within the enterprise as well as sharing with partners and even collective solutions shared with consortia or a city. An example of this approach with enterprise data is the eXtollo solution implemented by Daimler, working with Microsoft. This scalable solution supports the entire group and data scope and provides fine- grained access control to ensure that business units retain their autonomy and data security. In many cases the value of data is higher when information is combined with that from partners and other stakeholders, which requires data to be shared while ownership and security is maintained. Microsoft has a range of technologies and design patterns that inform how these technologies can be deployed to cre- ate maximum value and win-win partnerships. Such overall data platform approaches can lead to immediate value, where data-driven solutions are implemented quickly and cheaply to address use cases such as connected insur- ance and breakdown, shared freight solutions, and the coordination of mobility services. Microsoft teams in your region are ready to engage with customers to help explore these approaches with you and unlock the value of your data assets. This is the third in a series of articles by John Stenlake, automotive industry solutions director for connected vehicle and mobility at Microsoft