According to EETimes Asia, software giant Microsoft Corp. and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC (News - Alert)) have entered into a strategic partnership to develop modern telematics services using Windows Cloud platform. Under this deal, both the companies will invest about $12 million in TMC subsidiary Toyota Media Service Co. that provides digital information services to Toyota automotive customers.

Designed to merge telecommunications and information technologies in vehicles, telematics encompasses GPS systems, energy management and other multimedia technologies, wrote EETimes Asia. As per this report, the two companies will jointly develop and deploy telematics applications on the Windows Azure platform, which includes Windows Azure and Microsoft (News - Alert) SQL Azure.

Initially, the telematics apps are being aimed at TMC's electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to be released in 2012. In reality, TMC's goal is to establish a complete global Cloud platform by 2015 that will provide affordable and advanced global telematics services to Toyota automotive customers, wrote EETimes Asia.

Meanwhile, as part of its smart grid activities, TMC is conducting trials in Japan with Toyota Smart Center pilot program. The aim is to achieve a low-carbon society through efficient energy use by linking people, automobiles and homes for integrated control of energy consumption, reports EETimes Asia.

In fact, the leading Japanese motor company believes that, as electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles gain popularity, such systems will increasingly rely on telematics services for achieving efficient energy management, EETimes Asia wrote.

Besides Windows embedded automotive platform, Microsoft is also committed to delivering in-car mapping services with Bing, Microsoft Tellme (News - Alert) voice applications and many other consumer solutions, reports EETimes Asia.