Toyota Friend, Private Social Network For Toyota Customers

Toyota Motor Corp. and Salesforce.com Inc.. will build a private social network - Toyota Friend - for customers of electric cars and plug-in hybrid Toyota scheduled to be launched from next year.

Toyota will invest 442 million yen (5.4 million) and Salesforce.com will spend 223 million yen Toyota Media Service Co.., A Toyota subsidiary that will provide data services for drivers, says the press release the two companies.

Toyota Friend, will be named as the new private social network, will connect customers to their cars, dealers and manufacturers, says Toyota. Among the features of this service, smartphone or tablet available and includes a notification of the driver if his car battery energy level is very low.

Automotive manufacturers are beginning to add an increasing range of tools for entertainment or for saving energy in trying to attract more and more customers to adopt electric cars. Toyota and Microsoft recently announced they will jointly develop a system that will help electric powered vehicles to be more efficient.

Source: http://www.toyota.com/