The automotive industry is having a moment reminiscent of the introduction of Apple’s iPhone. And while we are still feeling our way around, everyone knows smart is the future.

According to Marcy Klevorn, chief information officer at Ford Motor Co., the company wants to be at the forefront of the automotive smart shift. Ford is “looking to disrupt ourselves and our own business,” she told John Furrier, cohost of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team.

Klevorn said Ford is doing a lot to stir up innovation and get new technological ideas bouncing around. Encouraging experimentation and autonomy among employees and strategic partnering are two ways they are looking to evolve technologically.

“The technology is becoming the business,” she stated.

Is data the key to a smarter car?

When asked about Ford’s IT choices and whether it prefers on premise, cloud, hybrid, etc., Klevorn replied that the company uses a hybrid strategy to best deliver what its customers need.

Klevorn also talked about data use being one of the main areas Ford is mining to advance technological offerings. The modems in Ford cars contain data that the company is using to target improvements. “That’s how you get to know the customer — through their data,” she said.

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Ford Innovation Day 2016.

Photo by SiliconANGLE