INTERVIEW
Engineering technology of the future
Mark Smyth spoke to the group IT boss of Williams F1 and engineering on a recent visit to SA
There was a time when being the group IT director of an automotive company meant making sure your Microsoft Office licences were in place and trying to save money on the cost of PCs. How times have changed. Today, the role is more crucial as technology has been thrust to the forefront with connectivity, in-car Wi-Fi, electric vehicles and autonomous driving. While most of the attention is on the tech people at the big brand car makers, it is the companies behind the scenes that are making many of the advancements. Williams is known mostly for its F1 team, but its engineering division is a key player in the future of the automotive industry and its group chief information officer, Graeme Hackland, has a great deal on his plate. Pit-stop times South African Hackland was visiting SA to meet with one of his IT partners, Avanade, a development company of Accenture. He says the company has been key in reducing the amount of IT infrastructure required trackside at an F1 race and also of im...
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