Michelin, one of the largest, oldest and most respected tyre manufacturers in the world—known for fitting physical tyres for everything from bicycles to space shuttles—is now transitioning to software-led revenue. TameTire is one example of Michelin’s software offer that allows car manufacturers and motorsports teams to simulate real-world tyre performance to a high level of accuracy.

Using complex algorithms, TameTire predicts tyre behaviours in reaction to various forces, torques and temperatures to help manufacturers produce better-handling car models at reduced costs, as well as allowing motorsports teams to test and fine-tune their vehicle setups in a more convenient and safer environment.

TameTire is just one of several simulation products that Michelin deploys and protects using Thales Sentinel. Others include Canopy, which provides laptime simulation, vehicle modelling and setup exploration in record time, using the power of cloud computing and a proprietary collocation solver; and SiMiX, an initiative that provides datasets for vehicle manufacturers, racing teams and automotive supply chain organizations covering components, such as tyres, chassis and suspensions.

Damien Bullot, Vice President Software Monetization at Thales commented: “Given that Michelin’s innovative software is complex and proprietary, we recognized their need for an agile licensing platform that was both easy to deploy and able to protect against IP theft. Thales Sentinel manages all Michelin’s software licensing under one solution that is fully compatible with Michelin’s infrastructure. We are pleased to see reported operational efficiencies and revenue growth from this collaboration.”

“As an organization whose reputation is based on quality, focusing on quality was essential to us as we expanded our business to software-led offerings. We are the clear market leader for this type of solution, and partnering with Thales ensured we could not only protect this valuable software IP, but also offer a new subscription business model and scale our license-based revenue stream. Relying on the Sentinel platform allows us to focus on further innovating our software and creating value for our customers,” said Pierre-Yves Mauriere, Product Owner for TameTire at Michelin.

Michelin relies on Sentinel’s ability to license software on premises, in the cloud and any combination of the two. While TameTire is typically deployed offline or in a hybrid environment, Canopy and Simix are deployed exclusively in the cloud, leveraging the Sentinel Cloud License Manager.