Another OS war is already under the hood of cars

(2012 Wired article)







People have long been "measured" by the power of the car - who has more horsepower, whose car is best stalled, whose accelerates steeper. Now, however, most often we are talking about their infotainment systems and the degree of stuffing with electronics.



Now they’re looking not at what's under the hood, but at the dashboard. This led to a hidden war in the automotive industry. Everyone needs software that will control the gadgets on the dashboard. There is a struggle between proprietary and open source software . Smartphone companies have the same story. The outcome of this war will determine how car systems will look and work. Since automakers began to develop open and closed ecosystems, it is interesting how cars will differ from each other.



It is impossible to overestimate the importance of a correct understanding of the problem. The amount of software in the average car is growing exponentially. With the advent of sophisticated cloud-based infotainment systems in a typical modern car, about 100 million lines of code have appeared. Software has become a competitive advantage, just as important to General Motors or Toyota as it is to Apple or Google. The problem is that car development cycles are measured over the years, and the consumer electronics industry for months. The race is picking up pace, so we see companies like Cisco getting involved in the games of the automotive industry , and leaders like Eddy Cue (Apple) are on the Ferrari board of directors .

“I hear from each of our customers over and over that we need to help them keep up with consumer electronics,” said Derek Kuhn, vice president of sales and marketing, QNX Software Systems, Wired. “You can no longer work at the same speed.”

Closed source software still works great. QNX and Microsoft dominate this area. Windows Embedded is best known as the platform on which Ford's successful sync system is based. This company also supports similar systems from Kia, Fiat and 15 other automakers. QNX develops infotainment software for Audi, BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Mercedes and Toyota and is used in millions of cars.











But Linux came along with Automotive Grade Linux . These include Nissan and Toyota, as well as top-tier suppliers such as Harman, Intel and Nvidia. In this regard, open source software will become more popular. In 2009, the non-profit company Genivi appeared. It includes BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Nissan, as well as Harman, Bosch, Continental and other suppliers. The company insisted on "widespread adoption of an open-source infotainment platform in automobiles." In addition, automakers like Ford and BMW are launching open source projects such as OpenXC and webinos .







Automakers like the open source approach because it gives them more control over their software platforms. They also have the opportunity to adapt features and experience to meet the needs of their customers. They can develop the product that people want, and not just give them what they were not asked for. This increases the difference between car manufacturers and suppliers.

“If a car manufacturer or a top-class company turns to a supplier like Microsoft, they get a very mature product. But they depend on the tools that come from this particular vendor, ”said Joel Hoffman, a member of the Genivi board of directors, strategic market development manager for Intel's In-Vehicle Infotainment Group. “Open source is attractive. If you are a developer in a top-notch company or in a community of equipment manufacturers, you can actually add features to this common community. You cannot do this at QNX or Microsoft. There are parts of functionality where you can copy, but you are limited to only one source and it controls your fate. ”

The open source approach has disadvantages. Big players like Microsoft have forgotten about software more than automakers like Ford have ever known about it. Automakers, as a rule, are not ready to take risks and want bulletproof systems that will work reliably throughout the life of the car. This gives Microsoft an edge over car manufacturers in companies.

“[Windows Embedded] is built on a robust software platform. It runs in real time and is installed on tens of millions of devices every year,” said Walter Sullivan, senior program manager for Windows Embedded. “We can use [our experience] associated with this wide range of devices and make the platform more stable. The longevity of the platform, as well as its focus on its long service life, together with the approach we use, help us provide software that others cannot provide ”

Proponents of proprietary systems argue that they are easier to update, even if so far there have been few automotive infotainment updates and they have been infrequently released. The situation will soon change as consumers expect automotive electronics to provide the most advanced features. In addition, more and more mobile operators are connecting to car networks.



Verizon recently acquired Mercedes-Benz supplier Hughes Telematics, and Sprint is set to launch its Velocity automaker end-to-end communications solution, which has already debuted on the Dodge Ram and Viper under the name Uconnect Access . Sprint buys a system that combines emergency (911) and car diagnostics with dashboard apps and built-in Wi-Fi.







Sullivan claims that Sync's first automotive infotainment system, which allows for software updates, is proof that the patented approach allows for future flexibility. “We design our platform so that it can be updated from the very beginning,” he says. - And, being the sole author of all the main components of this platform, we can guarantee that the update capability is built into each software component.



However, this will change when wireless updates become more common. Tesla Motors was the first company to update the car’s software wirelessly , and open source proponents say the flexibility inherent in such systems will make updates simple. And, according to them, updating a proprietary system is complicated when the company behind it refuses it.

“If Microsoft decides that Windows Embedded is no longer a profitable business and puts an end to this system, then car companies will be in a bad position,” says Rudolf Streif, Director of Embedded Solutions, Linux Foundation. “You have thousands of providers with open source, and you can maintain it yourself if you suddenly need it.”

Microsoft and QNX are currently winning the battle, but not the war. Open source software appeared in only one sensational application - the Linux -based CUE infotainment system in 2013's Cadillac XTS. But Strief has no doubt that soon there will be more such products, because open source allows car manufacturers to adapt their systems.







Cadillac CUE infotainment system

“It has become fashionable to add variety to the functionality of user interfaces, mainly thanks to open source software,” he says. “I know that many are working on this,” Hoffman said even more optimistically. “At least 90 percent of automotive companies and suppliers are interested in Linux. Interest in the automotive industry has grown significantly. ”

“I call it controlled openness and consider it our core principle,” says Thilo Koslowki, an automotive analyst at Gartner. “Thus, we not only deliver these functions to consumers faster, but also save money. The saving aspect is extremely important, because car manufacturers will never have the sales volume that smartphone manufacturers have. They must try to use this controlled openness. But your code cannot be completely open, because then you will lose variety in functionality. "

HTML5 breaks into the car infotainment system. It can make life easier for many and relieve stress in this race. HTML5 allows car manufacturers to develop systems that are easy to upgrade across platforms, and it also provides the ability to display on the application toolbar. QNX, for example, makes big bets on HTML5, which has failed in the mobile arena, but could catch on in the automotive business.

“There is still much work to be done in the automotive industry to grow up,” says Jim Buczkowski, Henry Ford Technical Fellow . “But I'm sure HTML5 will have a big impact.”

Although the outcome of this battle will directly affect consumer perceptions, most people will probably not care if their infotainment system is running Microsoft, Linux, or some other operating system. The automotive industry almost certainly wants to see at least two or three major systems. Ford and General Motors, Toyota and Honda, BMW and Mercedes-Benz will always want to be different.



But consumers do not care. They just need an easy-to-use product that looks stylish and intuitive.

“It's not about whether the system works with Microsoft or Linux,” says Hoffman. “The point is who will best implement this software, as we can judge by the telephone business.”

Translation: Diana Sheremyeva

PS

This is a translated article of 2012, and since then much has changed, but it is also interesting to analyze the forecasts of the “cool experts” of those years. Complement in the comments. And on Habré already raised a theme of automobile OSes: Modern automotive industry - 02. It is very thesis about OS