Connect Shopping Platform: The digital marketplace on wheels

The highway ahead. A weekend trip planned. Two swipes, one click, and new navigation features appear on the dashboard. The road trip doesn’t have to wait. This is not a vision of the future, but it's already a reality today. 

Customers can unlock new features even after purchasing

In the past, a car was finished when it rolled off the assembly line. In today’s connected fleet, drivers can tailor their vehicle to their needs – from mood and orientation to safety. Whether it’s ambient lighting, an integrated navigation solution or automatic light control, new functions can be activated whenever they are needed. The technology behind this is the Connect Shopping Platform (CSP) – a digital marketplace specially tailored to connected vehicles.

"The CSP is a central back-end system for Volkswagen Group's volume brands. These include Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, ŠKODA, SEAT and CUPRA," says André Voigt, Lead Product Owner at CARIAD. The platform is at the heart of the digital shopping experience – both available in the car and on the smartphone. This allows customers to add further digital features even after purchasing their car.

CARIAD responsible for backend and webshop frontend development

CARIAD implements the Connect Shopping Platform technically and translates the requirements of the brands into technical solutions. "We are responsible for both backend and webshop frontend development and work closely together with the Group brands and external partners such as Cognizant, Expleo and Car Digital," says Business Owner Daniel Pecher. The Group brands use the platform to reach millions of customers every year with products such as Connected Travel Assist or AirConsole.

Flexibility and convenience for drivers

Drivers can subscribe flexibly to digital products and decide for themselves which functions they want to use – and for how long. Subscriptions can be cancelled or revoked at any time. If customers are unsure, they can simply try out new features: Many products and services offer free access or a trial period before purchasing. The result is a digital shopping experience that combines both flexibility and convenience.