Software and business solutions firm, Fujitsu and VMware have expanded their strategic collaboration to bring IOT solutions to customers in the automobile industry.
According to the two companies, the Fujitsu Over The Air (OTA) Reprograming Solution will be combined with VMware IOT solutions, to provide multiple technologies as part of a one-stop cloud service for connected cars. The OTA solution will provide connected cars with the ability to be re-programmed using IOT technology from VMware. This will enable automobile manufacturers and partners to drive robust solutions with connected cars and autonomous driving.
If South African subsidiaries of global motor manufacturers implement the technology, it will also be incorporated in locally manufactured vehicles, adds VMware.
"Fujitsu has partnered with VMware since 2006, and we are pleased to say that our partnership with VMware now extends to the IOT industry as well. For our OTA Reprograming Solution, as we are seeing increasing demands from automobile manufacturers and their tier 1 components manufacturers as a global standard, we will provide an OTA platform for connected cars by integrating VMware IOT solutions into our secure and effective OTA Reprograming Solution. We look forward to fostering these offerings in our mobile business," said Shikou Kikuta, SVP, head of Mobility IOT Business Unit at Fujitsu.
The automobile industry, he adds, is rapidly moving toward incorporating more advanced technologies for connected cars, including automated driving. Several automobile manufacturers are investing in these technologies for connected cars, which will use new cloud services in the future.
"Fujitsu will provide its OTA Reprograming Solution, connecting with the cloud environment, and apply the delta update technology of software to efficiently manage and update essential software for connected cars, while VMware IOT solutions provide agility for the global deployment of services and advanced security technologies for connected cars," add the companies.
As the number of electronic control units (ECUs) that manage automotive parts increases in cars, the software that is embedded into the ECUs has become more sophisticated, and in turn, is becoming more challenging to manage. Automobile recalls due to software issues can pose challenges for automobile manufacturers. With more technologies being integrated into vehicles, it is imperative for automobile manufacturers to have the ability to quickly and easily reprogram software as required, while also being able to manage and monitor software versions individually, says VMware.
"The connected car industry continues to proliferate, and innovative and sophisticated technologies play a key role in the way automobile manufacturers can create a unique and enjoyable experience for drivers," says Mimi Spier, ?vice president, IOT, VMware. "We see our collaboration with Fujitsu as a significant benefit for automobile manufacturers, as we empower them to easily and quickly deploy software updates in a secure and seamless manner to their connected cars."
Fujitsu and VMware say they will also collaborate to expand their combined offerings of differentiated services in the mobility space.
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