Read and evaluate the case study titled Automakers Become Software Companies. Then develop solutions to the questions shown below.

4. Evaluate how Ford currently provide user upgrades, what are the disadvantages, and how could this be improved.

INTERACTIVE SESSION: TECHNOLOGY AUTOMAKERS BECOME SOFTWARE COMPANIES As the smartphone market continues to expand transportation methods, and to do this, cars need and initiatives likomart electric grids continue to to be equipped with software that can monitor and pick up stram another industry has begun getting enhance vehicle function at the most basic levels "maint with software and apps the automo The eventual system would require that cars feed bile industry. Ford, BMW, and other automobile Increasing amounts of information to systems companies are enhancing their vehicles with on whose purpose would be to minimize highway con- toard software that improves the customer experi gestion. The system would also require an industry ence, and the auto industry in working on technology standard, which does not exist as of yet. Ford has that will allow cars to be mind in the cloud doubled its investment in vehicle-to-vehicle com Automakers are finding that software is a way of munication technologies and BMW is also continue adding more value and retiness to their prod ing to develop ways for vehicles to communicate ucts without having to invest so heavily in new with one another on the road to valid collisions vehicle production. It takes Font Motor Company With the inclusion of software in their an for example, about two and one half years to plan automakers are enterin uncharted territory. They desden, and build a new cat, Design and production must now devote resources to updating and testing including metal stamping equipment and assembly the software, as well as establishing ways to line setup, must be malted long before the cht provide the updated software to their customer rolls of the line at the te maken en create Car companies need to coordinate their car devel a new software interfice for a car within months opment cycles more closely with their software and update it again and again wear the life of the development cycles. Also, many of the technolo- car without much lead time. This enables Ford and Bles included in automobile software packages tale other stomakers to significantly improve the pas the same privacy concerns surrounding location senger experience and add new features to care tracking that have often plagued smartphone man years after they are built ufacturers and app developers Ford is perhaps the automaker doing the most Ford in grappling with the best way to roll out to innovate with software and apps. Its MyFord software upgrades to its customers. The company Touch interfice is an in-dash touch screen avail has been mailing USB stick to 250,000 customers able for select vehicles with controls for navigation whose cars have an advanced touch screen music, phone integration, and temperature. Ford control panel running the MyFord Touch interface has upgraded this interface and the Sync software The stick contains a software upgrade that will behind the interface adding tablet and smartphone Improve navigation control the music and phone integration and better volen raponse. In 2010, Fond features, well as the ability to control carte added support for the online music streaming ser perature. The trade also contains code that it Vice Pandon, which is very popular among young upgrade system speed and improve the Interface potential buyers. This update enables drive to based on common criticism from Ford owners connect their tablets and smartphones to the Sync Although and says it plans to continuissing system to co male and other apps using voice software upgrade this way, the company hapea commands that customers will get into the habit of check- Chairman Hill Ford It has championed the ing the Ford Website for software upgrades on of otwm to alleviate urban congestion their own. Though most car owners are used to by investing in technology that responds to the the technology in their cars remaining constant problems created by traffic in the biggest cities throughout the life of the car, newer cars are potsed Theoretically, technology might belp car to avoid to change all of that traffic jams, to reserve parking spaces in advance, Ford has hired human-machine Interface encl- and possibly to even drive themselves non whose job is to analyze me their customers To manage vehicles in this way, cars need to be interact with the software in their car. Often, these connected to some kind of central system, which engineers use customer feedback to make changes would coordinate with public transit and other to the software, Customers complained that too Chapter 3 Information System, Organization, and Strategy 135 > much information was available on each screen of the interface, no Ford moved the most commonly sed features to more prominent positions on screen and increased their fonts Telegating the most to submenu Feedback has been . positive. Fond has alwe asked dealers to dedicat more time and personnel to hands-on technology training to help customers master its interface. GM Daimler, and other companies are all developing new features for their cars that operate online in the cloud Users will be able to remotely track their cars you'll never forget where you parked again and diagnose problems with the car like low the pressure or the need for an oil change. Corporations will be able to track employer use of company cars by interpreting car sensors and engine readouts Manufacturers will be able to aggregate and analyze the data from customer cars to identify quality problems and, if nece sary, quickly recall. Just as with apps, the possibilities are limited only by the imagination of automaten GM will allow its app developers to access its computer systems to improve app function, which is a familiar set of privacy concerns Auto analysts believe that automaker will make mistakes as they learn how to properly handle sensitive customer data and to provide robust privacy options. On the other hand, automak- es are hoping that younger customers who have grown up sing Pacebook are likely to care about privacy, and features that collect highly targeted Information about a car's location and driving habits BMW is also investing a whopping 5100 million in mobile apps hoping to market them to their customers as premium services. Some analysts are skeptical of the decision to invest that much money, but BMW believes that mobile apps will hecome an increasingly attractive selling point for customers of is Wielectric and lybrid cars Although the future of cars sharing information with other nearby cars is still year away, automak. ons are excited by the possibilities afforded by smart software and apps Stan sump p 10 Th Get Thu Will Barat, June 13, Chris Marply, We Rundt taltung des Care Web July 2012 My Ang Gwalch with the Mall 2012. Ju Whi, New Driver Ed. Toto Decede High-Tech Dashboard, The Wall fortalMay 2012 Chris Murphy, Poede Hora Sofa Company. Weck, Norrt and Why w "W Saddenly Love Mobile Apps Wink Marts 2.0 Check Strand Smart As The Dandelt