TECHNOLOGY
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General Motors and Amazon recently announced a collaboration to bring an in-vehicle Alexa voice experience to millions of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac customers.
Evan Quisenberry and Hayley Serr, colleagues in GM’s in-vehicle applications and partner relations team, talk about GM’s focus on integrating technology into vehicles and their experience working with Amazon.
Q: What do you do at General Motors?
Evan: I serve as the development team lead with our in-vehicle applications and partner relations team. My background is in software development, and my priority is to balance GM’s needs with the needs of our partners to reach the best solution for our customers.
Hayley: I currently focus on product ownership for the Alexa project. This role forces me to really put myself in the customers’ shoes and work closely with Amazon to triage feedback, challenges and solutions, so our team can efficiently provide what’s best for the customer.
Hayley Serr in GM World at GM Global Headquarters in Detroit.
Hayley Serr in GM World at GM Global Headquarters in Detroit.
Q: Can you tell us more about the Alexa technology and what it means for GM?
Hayley: Similar to how users utilize Alexa in their homes, drivers can interact with Alexa by using voice commands, all while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel: check the news, control smart home devices like lights and thermostats, add items to their shopping cart, play specific songs, call family and friends, and ask Alexa to get directions. With GM’s integration, Alexa is embedded into the vehicle, with no need for drivers to connect their phones.
Adding Alexa is another example of how we integrate customers’ digital lives into their vehicles, but most important, this integration is centered on the customer experience and customer safety. Voice commands are intended to reduce eyes-off-road time and allow for a better driving experience for our customers.
Evan: In addition to the safety and customer experience benefits the technology provides, the flexibility to add future enhancements to the infotainment platform has unlocked so many possibilities. For this integration alone, with our infotainment and over-the-air capability, we will make Alexa available on model year 2018 and newer cars, trucks and crossovers with compatible infotainment systems.
Q: Talk to us about the collaboration between GM and Amazon.
Hayley: The relationship with Amazon is really strong. We’re working with their software development kit to look at how to implement Alexa features into our vehicles. The great thing about the integration is that the top priority for both companies is the customer. Every aspect we touch is viewed through the customer lens. It’s great to have incredibly smart, talented and helpful individuals on both sides to reach the best solutions.
Evan: I agree with Hayley that the similar mindset makes the job great. But from the technical side, the compatibility of the platforms and the software capabilities of both companies allow us to really enhance everything we can offer. The flexibility they provide through their software development kit has resulted in us extending our own capabilities and pushing the limits of how we can integrate Alexa into the car.
Q: What are the different skill sets required at GM?
Hayley: Being flexible and mobile in your knowledge and capabilities not only allows more opportunities, but when an entire team can share that nimble mindset and competency, extraordinary work can be accomplished quickly. The most exciting part of our work is seeing how fast we move when integrating and testing new capabilities to benefit the customer.
Evan: Software technology goes out of date every two to three years. It’s critical to know the fundamentals, and it’s becoming more important to be able to learn quickly and adapt to new systems. Staying up to speed with changing software and new technology is a crucial component of our work. Going to events, reading, watching tutorial videos, trying new things and learning with my peers is how I stay current with emerging technologies. Taking the time to try new things and experience the evolving tools and technologies will only help in the long run.
Evan and Hayley are part of the team working to integrate customers’ digital lives into their vehicles.
Q: What advice do you have for students interested in working in the STEM field or for GM?
Evan: The barrier to entry to learn is so low. To learn coding, software technology, etc., you don’t need to be in a lab or machine shop, or own any expensive equipment. Nowadays, students and young people can pick a problem they want to solve – or even a skill or competency they want to learn – and the information is available right at their fingertips. I can’t emphasize enough that having a passion to learn is the biggest key to success in this field, and really in any industry.
Hayley: The STEM field is so vast and there are so many career opportunities available; and the field is only growing. Technology and software are present in almost every job, company and industry. Just because you didn’t go to school to study math or engineering doesn’t mean a career in STEM isn’t possible. I have a background in psychology and communications, and now I’m working in technology and software development. As Evan said, the barrier to entry and the barrier to learn is so low. Bringing diverse thinking and continually exploring different career opportunities is the biggest advice I can give both students and new GM employees.
One of the things we do really well at GM is provide employees with opportunities to try new things, work in different areas and develop new skills. I encourage all employees to take advantage of these opportunities to find their passion.
Alexa will be available on model year 2018 and newer cars, trucks and crossovers with compatible infotainment systems
Q: What does GM’s vision of a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion mean to you?
Hayley: Our products at GM reach millions of people, and this reach provides us with the opportunity to have an enormous impact. This makes our work so exciting because we know we impact so many lives. Our vision of Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion exemplifies this opportunity to make the world a safer and cleaner place.
Evan: Our vision speaks to how forward-thinking we are and how we view problem-solving. We are always looking toward the future to find the next best technology, feature or capability to push the envelope to improve the driving experience for our customers. We are transforming the automotive industry, and our vision guides us during this transformation.
Q: What makes you excited to come to work every day? What excites you about the future?
Evan: The software space is wide open. The possibilities are endless and almost impossible to predict. In a company like GM, we are positioned so uniquely to implement these new possibilities on a large scale. Autonomous vehicles and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications will be a major component in the future of mobility.
Hayley: Our team is what makes me most excited. The expertise we have and the speed at which we can test and implement – combined with that reach to instantly impact so many lives – truly makes working here exciting.
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