Driving With The Cloud

Even cars need a reboot. Today I got in my car at 6:20am – it was 30° outside. Eager to start my commute, I put my key in the ignition, pressed the brake, hit the start button, and just as I was ready to put my pedal to the metal, an error message alerted me that my 4-Wheel X Drive had malfunctioned. Relentlessly, I drove for about 10 miles with a message saying “Drive with caution and call your BMW Service Center immediately.” Now, in the X-Series, the 4-Wheel X Drive is a critical piece of the car. I knew that if I was going to be driving 75 miles per hour, it might be a problem. I pulled over to the nearest Rest Area, shut down the car, and let it reboot. Once I let the car sit and reboot for about a minute, I re-started it, and all systems came up with no error messages.

Now, I wonder how long it will be before cars are connected to the Cloud? In essence, I am already connected to the Cloud (or am I?) with BMW Assist, which could have rebooted my car remotely. But, how long will it be before cars are just another computer on your network? I know it’s a stretch, but in the future when I enter a destination, could my email calendar automatically sync with my car’s navigation system with directions already in play? If I am headed to a meeting and hit unexpected traffic, could my car send an email letting them know I am running late?

Imagine if cars could correlate information from the Cloud to your trip. For example, what if you’re someone that needs to drive long distances for work, but you have a health condition. Imagine if the Cloud could calculate your drive time and provide you with alerts as to when and where to pull over and take a break.

Imagine if gas stations could publish their prices on the Internet (some already do), and while you’re traveling and your car gets low on gas, not only does it find the lowest price, but your navigation gets updated with directions. There is already an application for the iPhone that helps you find nearest gas stations and their prices, why couldn’t your car do the work too?

What are the limits for cars and the Cloud? If my car isn’t truly connected to the Cloud, then I can’t wait until my lease is up!

Rick Crane, President & CEO, GoBeyond IT