CRM provider Salesforce is adding a host of features to its Automotive Cloud, including Automotive Loan, Lease Console, and connected car capabilities. Credit: Arthur Aldyrkhanov / Toni Vaver / Getty Images Salesforce is adding AI, telematics and a host of other capabilities to beef up Salesforce Automotive Cloud, built on the company’s Customer 360 cloud-based CRM platform and released last year as a dedicated system to help automakers better connect with dealers and end consumers. Features that are generally available now include Einstein Studio and Fleet Management, according to a Salesforce announcement Tuesday. “With Einstein Studio, automakers can easily build and train custom AI models with help from Salesforce ecosystem technology partners,” the company said, adding that connected car data, when paired with custom AI models, will enable automakers to generate predictive insights. Automakers, for example, may want to alert dealers automatically when a driver’s vehicle is about to hit 100,000 miles, identify new, available vehicles that match the driver’s preferences, and even offer personalized discounts and trade-in offers. The new Fleet Management tools, according to the company, will allow fleet owners a single view of their vehicles and enable them to define fleet action plans, such as deciding routes, driver assignments, and maintenance warnings. The Fleet Management tools also will provide insights into completed trips and driver behavior, among other things, to enable future fleet planning and improve performance, the company said. Automotive Loan and Lease Console to be made available in 2024 Salesforce also said that it will release a new suite, dubbed Automotive Cloud for Captive Finance, which will provide a complete view of a driver’s automotive finances, including all of their household auto loans and lease accounts, as well as their associated vehicles. The suite will come with an Automotive Loan and Lease Console that is designed to help auto lenders streamline and automate services, , engaging customers with timely, personalized information about lease renewals, payment reminders, or service appointments, the company said, adding that the features will be available in the early 2024. Other features that will also be made available in early 2024 include actionable telematics and other connected car features. “Actionable Telematics will help automakers monitor telematics data, like vehicle location, speed, fuel, or battery consumption, and use automation to detect and alert customers to changes in their car’s status,” the company said. The telematics, for example, could read the data coming off of a vehicle and send an alert to the driver console to warn them of any potential issues, such as an increase in engine revolutions per minute (RPMs) or loss of tire pressure. Salesforce is also planning a connected vehicle visualization module within the Automotive Cloud that will allow automakers to provide a real-time visualization of a vehicle’s connected features and services that will help make it easy for automakers to provide better in-car experiences, such as remote assistance. This feature, according to the company, will be available in pilot in early 2024 and additional purchase and terms may be applied to it. Related content feature State of IT jobs: Mixed signals, changes ahead Layoffs and salary plateaus in the wake of exuberant pandemic-era IT hiring has the IT talent market in flux. And while employers pay premiums for hard-to-find AI skills, IT pros seek the same for filling in-office openings. By Sarah K. White May 17, 2024 10 mins Salaries Hiring IT Jobs feature Project manager salary: 5 key tips to earn more Project managers need to know what their worth is — and make others know it, as well. Here’s a look at project manager compensation, skills that increase a project manager’s pay scale, and how to negotiate a more competitive project By Josh Fruhlinger May 17, 2024 14 mins Salaries Project Management Careers feature Cyber resilience: A business imperative CIOs must get right With ransomware at an all-time high, companies need to understand that being cyber resilient means going beyond compliance to considering all aspects of a business, from operational continuity to software supply chain security. By Andrada Fiscutean May 16, 2024 9 mins Regulation Incident Response Data and Information Security feature Shine a Spotlight on Your Team’s IT Excellence with CIO Awards Canada By Allice Shandler May 16, 2024 4 mins Events IT Leadership PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES EVENTS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe