Bridgestone using Microsoft Azure to enhance connected tyre & mobility portfolio

Two years after first partnering to develop an intelligent tyre monitoring system, Bridgestone Corporation is extending its collaboration with Microsoft. It will use Microsoft Azure to create value for customers, primarily global fleets and OEMs, by integrating advanced tyre analytics to provide a better overview of treadwear and casing health. By doing so, Bridgestone aims to raise customer productivity and efficiency by maximising retreading and informing when tyre maintenance may be needed.

“Since our first collaboration announcement in 2020, Microsoft has been a valuable partner in both our European and Americas markets,” says Paolo Ferrari, joint global chief operating officer, Bridgestone Corporation, and president and chief executive officer, Bridgestone Americas. “We are excited to build on this collaboration with enhanced and expanded offerings that allow Bridgestone globally to develop new innovations and quickly deliver them to our customers aligned with the Bridgestone E8 Commitment.”

Building new cloud capabilities

Both companies will continue to use the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform to capture and analyse tyre data in real-time as part of a fully integrated vehicle ecosystem. “We know that uptime, driver safety, and total cost of ownership are paramount for Fleets, for example,” comments Ferrari. “The Connected Vehicle Platform allows us to provide insights through each of these lenses, as well as others, using data directly from the tyre to unlock value that otherwise remains trapped.”

Bridgestone will also build new cloud capabilities using Azure that further streamline and modernise the company’s core tyre business and IT operations, including workplace productivity. Bridgestone will use Microsoft solutions to strengthen operational effectiveness and deliver increased flexibility and scalability across enterprise tools and platforms. Improved agility across core infrastructure are expected to result in quicker expansion of tyre-centric solutions to the customer, improved efficiencies and collaboration across the enterprise, more robust governance and security, and overall operational cost savings.

Providing new solutions & data analytics

“As the world around us becomes more digital and data-driven, it’s exciting to see how Bridgestone is working to provide new solutions and data analytics to their customers,” says Sanjay Ravi, general manager, Automotive Mobility and Transportation for Microsoft. “Our long-standing relationship with Bridgestone has led to many successes and we look forward to supporting their journey in delivering new solutions that result in improvements, fleet management and overall business efficiencies.”

The Bridgestone E8 Commitment consists of eight values that Bridgestone has committed to creating together with employees, society, partners and customers to realise a sustainable society. The initiative with Microsoft will help Bridgestone deliver its “Efficiency,” “Extension” and “Economy” values.