BMW: In-Drive Conversation with Open Source
Bavarian automaker BMW has set its sights on Open Source for the infotainment packages of its cars. If it were up to BMW, all automakers would be working on a common platform.
It was in March at its "Fahrzeug IT 2008" conference that BMW first presented its plans to develop infotainment packages for its luxury cars based on Open Source technology. BMW already ventured into a cooperative undertaking with chipmaker Intel and embedded Linux vendor Wind River. Its goal was uniform ports for multimedia applications in its cars, with the basic idea to use readily available instead of costly internally developed software. At the Convergence 2008 auto show in Detroit, BMW campaigned for coordinated work among the automakers on the Open Source platform.
A cooperation spirit in new development is not uncommon among automakers at first glance. As BMW spokesperson for innovation and research Katharina Boelsterl states, "a strong collaboration is desirable especially for noncompetitive functionality." She says that carmakers generally divide their development into two spheres. One is the specific classic electronics area, such as related to drive handling characteristics, that generally stays with the manufacturer. The other sphere is infotainment electronics where this rule doesn't apply and where actual collaboration is already occurring. Boelsterl suggests that the Consumer Electronics for Automotive (CE4A) project is one example. Under the umbrella of the German VDA auto industry association, automakers are working on a common port for mobile phone, navigation device and multimedia software. The Autosar development partnership is to have similar goals. It is a forum designed for international automakers to mull over such things as drive trains and steering mechanisms for the common good.
The open source portal is an important theme for BMW's infotainment initiative, although no details have yet been released. By year's end, the automaker does promise an open, effective multimedia platform for a faster and simpler development of automotive entertainment software.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusIssue 263/2022
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Deepin 23 Preview Release is Available For Testing
The developers of Deepin have made a preview release of their latest offering available with three exciting new features.
-
The First Point Release For Ubuntu 22.04 is Now Available
Canonical has released the first point upgrade for Jammy Jellyfish which includes important new toolchains and fixes.
-
Kali Linux 2022.3 Released
From the creators of the most popular penetration testing distributions on the planet, comes a new release with some new tools and a community, real-time chat option.
-
The 14" Pinebook Pro Linux Laptop is Shipping
After a considerable delay, the 14" version of the Pinebook Pro laptop is, once again, available for purchase.
-
OpenMandriva Lx ROME Technical Preview Released
OpenMandriva’s rolling release distribution technical preview has been released for testing purposes and adds some of the latest/greatest software into the mix.
-
Linux Mint 21 is Now Available
The latest iteration of Linux Mint, codenamed Vanessa, has been released with a new upgrade tool and other fantastic features.
-
Firefox Adds Long-Anticipated Feature
Firefox 103 has arrived and it now includes a feature users have long awaited…sort of.
-
System76 Refreshes Their Popular Oryx Pro Laptop with a New CPU
The System76 Oryx Pro laptop has been relaunched with a 12th Gen CPU and more powerful graphics options.
-
Elive Has Released a New Beta
The Elive team is proud to announce the latest beta version (3.8.30) of its Enlightenment-centric Linux distribution.
-
Rocky Linux 9 Has Arrived
The latest iteration of Rocky Linux is now available and includes a host of new features and support for new architecture.
More telematics open source