HERE and Cerence bring more personalised, contextualised in-car experiences

Cerence Inc., the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the automotive world, and HERE Technologies, a global leader in mapping and location platform services, announced that they have teamed up to integrate HERE location intelligence with the Cerence Drive portfolio to bring advanced AI-powered mobility assistant offerings to the automotive industry.

Building on the companies' long-standing partnership prior to Cerence's spin-out from Nuance Communications, HERE and Cerence will continue to bring voice-powered access to HERE maps, APIs and point-of-interest (POI) data to the marketplace of global automakers, including Audi, BMW and Daimler.

Voice-enabling HERE APIs, such as electric vehicle charging, fuel, parking and weather creates a conversational experience in which drivers can use natural language (instead of specific prescribed commands) to find the nearest EV charging station, for example, or covered parking near their destination in case of inclement weather.

This voice-powered solution further tailors in-car experiences through ongoing AI-based learning of driver preferences and habits. Rich location-based data from HERE provides context to a driver's preferences, allowing the solution to provide more pointed and relevant suggestions. For example, if the system learns a driver frequents gas stations open 24 hours with diesel offerings, it will make suggestions based on those preferences. It also brings HERE 3D maps to Cerence's multi-modal in-car experience, enabling drivers to interact with POIs outside the car using eye tracking and voice recognition.

“As the popularity of mobility assistants continues to grow, accurate location information is integral to enable a driver to fully leverage the assistant and its capabilities,” said Jørgen Behrens, Chief Product Officer at HERE. “We are thrilled to work with Cerence to create a voice-powered, multi-modal automotive experience that enhances productivity and safety in the vehicle.”

“Our work with HERE furthers our commitment to optimise the end-to-end performance of the mobility assistant experience for our customers,” said Stefan Ortmanns, EVP & General Manager, Core Automotive, Cerence. “HERE is a trusted partner and the leader in their space, and their extensive map and POI data is critical to bringing drivers a powerful experience they can count on in their day-to-day lives.”