The Hyperledger project hosted by the Linux Foundation has announced that Daimler AG has joined the collaborative project as a premier member.
Daimler is one of the largest producers of cars and commercial vehicles in the world but they are also into fleet management, leasing financing, insurance and mobility services. The German company is the owner of the iconic Mercedes-Benz branded cars. Other brands that they own include Maybach and Car2Go.
There is an increasing trend among large companies to jump onto the Blockchain bandwagon. The true potential of Blockchain is being realized quickly and Daimler is no exception.
Hyperledger, in that respect, is an interesting project as it brings a diverse set of industry leaders and participants together. They have over 100 member companies with more than 120 contributors and five projects in incubation.
Hyperledger - a collaborative project
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort which exists to promote cross-industry Blockchain technologies. Daimler finds itself in the company of other premier members like Accenture, Airbus, American Express, IBM, Fujitsu, J.P. Morgan, Intel and more.
In a press release issued by Hyperledger, Jan Brecht, CIO of Daimler AG, remarks:
“We see Blockchain as a promising technology, not fully mature yet, but continuously growing. Now is the right time to get into it, build up knowledge and form a network of like-minded people to share experiences. By joining Hyperledger, we are confident to do the right step towards this direction.”
Interestingly, this is not Daimler’s first expression of interest in Blockchain. A while ago we covered how Daimler had acquired PayCash Europe which works with Mobile Payments Solutions.
Blockchain and Daimler - made for each other
It is natural that a company such as Daimler would express interest in Blockchain.
Brian Behlendorf, executive director of Hyperledger, tells Cointelegraph:
“Speaking theoretically, and not based on any specific projects or statements of intent from Daimler — Daimler is a company with huge supply chain tracking needs, one natural application for Blockchain technology. They also manage the flow of billions of dollars every week through their finance operation, interacting with hundreds of other banks, and as that industry goes Blockchain, so must someone like Daimler.”
He further talks about the automotive aspect: “Major companies like Daimler in the automotive industry are evolving rapidly towards a broader transportation and mobility position, where integrating your relationship with the customer across many different operations and partners is important. Any of these could become interesting projects for Daimler, and perhaps there are others we don't even know about. These are similar to the needs driving other members like Airbus, Sany and other industrial giants towards Blockchain and Hyperledger.”