Microsoft, Otonomo Seal Connected Car Data Deal

Israeli car data company Otonomo has confirmed a new partnership with Microsoft designed to enhance the tech giant’s mapping products.

Under the agreement, Herzliya-based Otonomo will provide streaming connected vehicle data to Microsoft Maps.

The data served up by Otonomo will allow Microsoft to evolve its services across Microsoft Azure, Windows, Microsoft 365 and Bing, ensuring users can benefit from updates on current traffic conditions, notifications on accidents as well as real-time route optimization.
The connected vehicle data will also be used to bolster Microsoft’s existing road network data to provide up-to-the-minute information on, for example, temporary road layouts or turn restrictions.

Otonomo’s platform is claimed to securely take in more than four billion data points every day, from more than 40 million connected vehicles across the globe.

Ben Volkow, CEO and co-founder at Otonomo, hailed the deal.

“Microsoft’s robust mapping services offer a wealth of detailed location and traffic data to its users across the company’s ecosystem of services, platforms and applications," he said. "We’re pleased that Microsoft recognized the benefit of the breadth, depth and quality of the connected vehicle data that runs through Otonomo.” 

Russell Dicker, CVP maps and local at Microsoft, added: “The connected vehicle data available through Otonomo will provide a meaningful and high-impact addition to our current processing chains and data sets. We look forward to using Otonomo’s data to enhance our Maps.” 

Since it was founded in 2015, Otonomo has assembled a diverse array of customers, with more than 100 providers in the transportation, insurance and automotive industries using its mobility insights. The company’s data is applicable in a number of areas including emergency services, traffic management, subscription services, parking, predictive maintenance and smart city solutions.

The Microsoft announcement comes just a matter of days after Otonomo released news of a deal to also supply leading smart mobility management company Iteris with connected vehicle data. Other high-profile customers include French automaker the Renault Group and Amazon Web Services.

The company has established research and development centers in Israel and the U.K. and also has offices in San Francisco, California, and Frankfurt, Germany.