IBM & PSA Peugeot Citroen to build connected services

IT-giant IBM and PSA Peugeot Citroën have decided to partner up to develop new technical solutions needed to help various industries to deliver services from connected vehicles. Employees of the two firms will work closely with clients to develop, sell and deliver the new connected services.

PSA Peugeot Citroën (PSA) is the second largest car maker in Europe and manufacturer of the world-renowned brands Peugeot, Citroën and DS. The company that has sales operations in 160 countries sold 3 million cars in 2014, totalling to a recorded sales and revenue in 2014 of €54 billion. PSA has the largest number of connected cars ‘on the road’.

Connected cars
With many researchers expecting the number of connected cars to grow to a quarter billion by 2020, more and more services are developed to connect these cars with the internet, apps and other cars. Examples include smartphone apps, navigation and roadside assistance. To assist a variety of industries, including automotive distribution, smarter cities, and retail, to develop new business opportunities following the expansion of connected cars, IBM and PSA decided to join hands.

Under the 7-year partnership, the two companies will develop new technical solutions that allow industries within the Internet of Things economy to deliver new services from connected vehicles. The partners will work together from the first Innovation Centre in Paris and share the responsibilities of developing, selling and marketing, as well as delivering and implementing the connected services with new and existing clients.

“The ways we facilitate our lives and work has changed dramatically with the rapid adoption of mobility and the rise of the Internet of Things,” explains Dirk Wollschläger, General Manager Global Automotive Industry at IBM. “Under this partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroën, we are pushing the boundaries of mobility even further to give a broad set of industries the opportunity to tap the promise of the connected car.”

Brigitte Courtehoux, Director of the Connected Services Business Unit at PSA Peugeot Citroën, adds: “We realised early on that connected vehicles, as part of the Internet of Things, were a key factor in the improvement of the customer experience towards our Brands. In partnership with IBM, we are unleashing connected services to the masses, so consumers can experience a new level of comfort and convenience from their cars, while industries seize new opportunities to deliver personalised services.”