Cisco, Hyundai to Partner on Internet-Connected Car Technology

Hyundai Motor said on Tuesday that it will partner with Cisco Systems to develop Internet-connected car technology, part of the automaker's push to develop "high-performing computers on wheels".

Auto and tech firms are increasingly forming alliances to expand services that hook cars up to Internet, particularly as the race to develop self-driving cars heats up.

Hyundai said Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun met Cisco Chief Executive Chuck Robbins in Seoul and agreed to co-develop in-vehicle network technology for high-speed transfer of large amounts of data.

"The cooperation is part of Hyundai Motor's wider strategy to establish an industry-leading connected car platform through collaboration with leading technology partners," it said in a statement.

Other alliances include Toyota Motor Corp's expansion this month of a five-year-old partnership with Microsoft Corp to develop new Internet-connected vehicle services for owners and dealers.

The Japanese automaker has established Toyota Connected at its US headquarters in Plano, Texas, to consolidate its existing connectivity services and serve as the company's "data science" hub. Microsoft has a 5 percent stake in the venture.

Among the services to be developed or expanded under Toyota Connected are insurance coverage and rates based on owners' actual driving patterns; connected vehicle networks that can share information on traffic and weather conditions, such as icy roads; and information services tailored to a driver's habits and preferences, including monitoring heart rate, glucose level and other personal health data.

© Thomson Reuters 2016