Now you can Become Your Car’s Best Friend

May 27 2011

There is an old saying that the dog is man’s best friend.  Some car lovers would probably say that their car is actually their best friend.  The rest of us find paying the monthly car loan instalment just a little bit too daunting to look at our car as our best friend.

Motoring giant Toyota, however, seems to share the “best friend” view.  The company has announced the creation of a social network that will enable a two-way interaction between car and driver.

The system has been developed jointly with cloud specialists and customer relationship managers Sales Force.  It will, says the company, allow owners to befriend their cars and for cars to send regular electronic updates to owners regarding maintenance checks and similar services.

The private network will quite aptly be named “Toyota Friend” and will make it possible for owners to treat their car in much the same way as any other Twitter or Facebook friend.

The car will be able to send a range of messages to the owner’s cell phone or computer regarding the vehicle’s condition.  An example is when the battery becomes low or when the gearbox oil needs topping up.  The car will also be able to put drivers in contact with their nearest service station if they move to a new city or town.

Toyota President, Akio Toyoda, said at a news conference in Tokyo on Monday “Social networking services are transforming human interaction and modes of communication.  The automobile needs to evolve in step with that transformation.”

Author - Louise Hutchinson

 

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