Technology Record - Issue 22: Autumn 2021

118 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om F E ATUR E W ith vehicles becoming connected, electric and eventually autonomous, the way people and goods move is changing. Data on individual vehicles, fleets and entire transportation services is becoming more easily accessible, allowing for the development of mobility services that take into account the mobility landscape as a whole. Automotive companies are looking to take advantage of their new capabilities to become mobility providers, involved in every stage of a journey. Meanwhile, cities and public transpor- tation providers are looking towards a future with intelligent transportation services that react more flexibly to demand and operate more effi- ciently. Logistics organisations are looking to move goods ever more efficiently than through the supply chain, while travel companies are beginning to explore the capabilities of technol- ogy in delivering a better experience. As they begin to take advantage of the possi- bilities of data-driven mobility solutions, these sectors are therefore beginning to converge into a single, shared mobility landscape. “If you look into the overall industry, the biggest growth is coming from data-driven innovation and new mobility services,” says Sanjay Ravi, general manager of automotive, mobility and transportation at Microsoft. “This means that the industries that have traditionally been regarded as regarded as separate - transportation, automotive and travel - are all coming together in creating solutions for the movement of people and goods.” In response, Microsoft is changing the way it approaches the industry. Bringing together automotive with the previously separate travel and transportation sectors will allow its solu- tions to accurately reflect the way that mobility is changing. “We are responding to the changes that we can see coming to the industry,” says Ravi. “By bringing travel and transportation together with automotive into a new organisation, we’re mak- ing sure that we’re part of that change.” This significant shift comes at a time when the industry has been facing major challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel has been par- ticularly hard hit, with international movement BY A L E X SM I TH Travelling The traditionally separate industries of automotive, travel and transportation are beginning to converge around the capabilities of data-driven mobility solutions. Sanjay Ravi and Julie Shainock explain how Microsoft is reflecting this transformation together