The Renault-Nissan Alliance is acquiring the French software-development company Sylpheo to accelerate the expansion of its connected vehicle and mobility services programs.

The acquisition was announced today by Ogi Redzic, Alliance Senior Vice President of Connected Vehicles and Mobility Services.

"The Sylpheo team of software developers and cloud engineers joining the Alliance will have a unique opportunity to work on our next generation of connected cars and other advanced technologies," Redzic said. "They will be playing a critical role in this new era of tremendous change for the global auto industry."

The Alliance will launch more than 10 vehicles with autonomous drive technology by 2020. Widespread connected car technology will improve the ownership experience, enable the Alliance to offer innovative new services to customers, and drive increased business efficiency.

This acquisition is the Alliance's latest step toward accelerating that development. Following Redzic's appointment in January to lead the mobility and connectivity services team, the world's fourth largest car group launched a recruitment campaign to hire 300 technology experts.

"Sylpheo's team of 40 engineers and consultants will bring software development and cloud engineering expertise to the organization. The technology they will help develop will mean better products and services for our customers and efficiency for our business. The acquisition of Sylpheo is just one of many steps Renault-Nissan Alliance is taking to ensure its continued innovation leadership in the automotive industry," Redzic added.

The acquisition reflects Renault-Nissan's ongoing commitment toward creating an automotive future with zero emissions and zero fatalities. Whether it is electric vehicles, autonomous drive or connectivity services, the Alliance strategy is to incorporate advanced technology on mass market vehicles at affordable prices.