Ford Motors revealed on Thursday its plan to invest a staggering $182.2 million to Pivotal, a subsidiary of Silicon Valley, another possible sign of the company's attempt to boost its development software expertise, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The investment permits the automaker to gain access to "really advanced software development methods and cloud tech skills at a speed at which we wouldn't be able to do on our own," Mark Fields, Ford Chief Executive, said.
"As we look at tech and software and how it is opening whole new areas for us to provide experiences for consumers, it is important that we get a level of fluency," he added.
The investment is just a share of the $253 million pie of Ford's financial support for Pivotal, which includes financing from Microsoft, VMware, GE and EMC as well, USA Today reported.
According to Mark Fields, Ford CEO, the company looks forward to working hand in hand with Pivotal developers and learning from Silicon Valley with the aim of sufficing its customers with "a lot of cloud-based services," he told Detroit Free Press.
Fields noted that although Ford has a highly skilled team, the automaker is in dire need of experts who could immediately come up with software needed by consumers.
More than two years ago, Fields paid a visit to Pivotal's offices and was clearly impressed with its innovation. After that visit, Pivotal helped Ford finish its FordPass app, a smartphone application that helps drivers to park, access vehicles remotely, among others.
Following Thursday's deal, their relationship has gotten deeper.
"It's kind of like going from dating to getting married. When you get married, you are much more open to sharing and learning from each other," Fields said.
Meanwhile, Pivotal CEO Rob Mee acknowledged in a statement that Ford's open-mindedness and eagerness to learn, plus the two companies' cultural compatibility, make them effective partners.
