Microsoft makes a move in the automotive industry: three actions reveal its "automotive ambitions"

Microsoft's Moves in the Automotive Industry: Three Actions Reveal Its "Automotive Ambition"

Bill Gates

There is a joke circulating in the American automotive industry: One day, a Microsoft computer engineer met a Detroit automotive engineer. The computer engineer mocked, "Your automobile industry develops too slowly. If car technology could develop as fast as Microsoft technology, cars by now should have 32 cylinders, reach speeds of 10,000 miles per hour, and cost less than $50!" After the Microsoft engineer finished speaking, he thought the automotive engineer would be utterly embarrassed. Unexpectedly, the automotive engineer sneered coldly, "But who would buy a car that crashes three times a day?"

As a giant in the IT industry, ever since Microsoft decided to enter the automotive industry in 1995, it has faced various doubts from the automotive sector. Recently, Microsoft has made three widely watched "big moves" in the automotive world.

Three Actions Expose "Automotive Ambition"

On June 6th, Microsoft appointed Jeff Baer, former Vice President of Product Strategy at DaimlerChrysler, as the President of its Interactive Entertainment Business. Baer became famous for using online games to promote automobiles while at Chrysler. This time, Microsoft mainly valued his familiarity with the automotive industry and the market for automotive-related electronic products.

On July 6th, the FIA announced that Microsoft had successfully become the official engine control system sponsor for the 2008 F1 season after fierce bidding. This further reveals Microsoft's "ambition" to enter the core technology areas of the automotive industry.

On July 16th, Microsoft’s automotive dealer management software was launched with great fanfare in the United States.