Thales, a technology and security provider, has announced it is working in partnership with Michelin to protect its Intellectual Property and deploy its software to customers around the world, with the Sentinel Software Monetization Platform.
Michelin, one of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world, is now transitioning to software-led revenue. TameTire is one example of Michelin’s software offer that allows car manufacturers and motorsports teams to simulate real-world tyre performance to a high level of accuracy.
Using complex algorithms, TameTire predicts tyre behaviours in reaction to various forces, torques and temperatures to help manufacturers produce better-handling car models at reduced costs, as well as allowing motorsports teams to test and fine-tune their vehicle setups in an efficient and safe environment.
TameTire is just one of several simulation products that Michelin is deploying and protecting using the Sentinel platform. Others include Canopy, which provides lap time simulation, vehicle modelling and setup exploration, using Cloud computing and a proprietary collocation solver; and SiMiX, an initiative that provides datasets for vehicle manufacturers, racing teams and automotive supply chain organisations, covering components such as tyres, chassis and suspensions.
Damien Bullot, VP of software monetisation at Thales commented: “Given that Michelin’s innovative software is complex and proprietary, we recognised their need for an agile licencing platform that was both easy to deploy and able to protect against IP theft. Thales Sentinel manages all Michelin’s software licencing under one solution that is fully compatible with Michelin’s infrastructure. We are pleased to see reported operational efficiencies and revenue growth from this collaboration.”
Michelin relies on Sentinel’s ability to licence software on premises, in the Cloud and any combination of the two. While TameTire is typically deployed offline or in a hybrid environment, Canopy and Simix are deployed exclusively in the Cloud, leveraging the Sentinel Cloud License Manager.
“Focusing on quality was essential to us as we expanded our business to software-led offerings. We are the clear market leader for this type of solution, and partnering with Thales ensured we could not only protect this valuable software IP, but also offer a new subscription business model and scale our licence-based revenue stream,” added Pierre-Yves Mauriere, product owner for TameTire at Michelin.
