A recent Wired article discusses a paradigm shift in the development
of automotive technology-- one that goes from a mechanical drive towards
more horsepower to a software-based competition to provide consumers
with high-performing infotainment systems. Companies such as Microsoft
and QNX Software Systems produce proprietary software for many different
car companies, but many car makers have sponsored the development of
open-source software. From the perspective of the auto industry,
open-source infotainment systems are desirable because they would allow
companies to adapt and personalize software unique to specific users.
However, established software companies like Microsoft have an advantage
in marketing their products to the auto industry because they have been
supplying reliable software for years-- a switch to new open-source
software can be seen as a risk in an industry that focuses intently on
safety. Another consideration to take into account is the
"upgradability" of car's infotainment system-- so far, upgrades to
software have been few, but with an increasing need for current
information in some programs comes the expectation of more frequent
upgrades. This consideration may become moot with the development of
wireless updates, though, with Tesla Motors being the first company to
successfully update a vehicle's software wirelessly.
As
software becomes increasingly integrated into our cars, the design
process for new vehicles may change. In the software industry, new
products are developed at a much faster rate than in the auto industry,
where a typical development cycle takes years. Some car companies have
brought electronics executives to their management teams, an example
being Ferrari, which has brought former Apple vice president of software
Eddy Cue to its board of directors. On the subject of Apple: in a
partnership with several automakers, Apple is adapting voice control
program Siri for dashboard use, and the new program will be called Siri
Eyes Free. As yet, few luxury automakers have integrated much in the way
of infotainment into their car designs. The president of QNX Software
Systems was quoted in Wired as saying that all of his company's
customers (automakers) are interested in keeping up with the pace of the
consumer electronics industry. How it will be possible to synchronize
automobile and software development has yet to be concluded, but we may
be seeing some changes in the auto industry in the near future.
Sources: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/12/automotive-os-war/
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/11/eddy-cue-ferrari/
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