The evolution of the modern car is arguably one of the most exciting developments in today’s age. As noted by many, the automotive industry is becoming further entangled within the emerging mobility sector – from connectivity and the shared economy to electrification. While in reality ‘connecting’ the car doesn’t happen overnight, it’s clear that many automakers have this vision top-of-mind as we’ve seen an increase in partnerships amongst automotive and technology companies.
Today, automakers are in a transition state to become a technology business, realizing that technology – particularly software – is a transformative element for user experience. As the race to create the autonomous car heats up, a vehicle’s safety features are just as important as the user experience. So how does the industry move towards the software-defined connected car?
A DIGITAL FUTURE REQUIRES TEAMWORK: Typical skills in the automotive industry don’t focus around cloud-based software expertise, which is now playing a strong role in advancing the connected car. This has caused an influx of partnerships in the industry, fueled by more software-based companies coming into the automotive and transportation sector to play specific parts of the value chain with unique skills and capabilities. We’re seeing that from an OEM’s perspective, the future of the digital car is based around collaboration. By partnering with a technology company, the automakers will bring the vision of the driving experience, and the technology partner will help guide on the mobility front.
LEVERAGE KEY LEARNINGS FROM THE IOT INDUSTRY: With the industry moving fast towards end-to-end connectivity, companies working on early stages of the development have identified cybersecurity as a serious problem. Even automakers focusing on cybersecurity don’t have the appropriate knowledge to ensure complete safety for their customers, making it vital for software specialists to educate them about the safety benefits that can be presented by the Internet of Things (IoT).
The automotive industry is ripe for disruption. The pivot from today’s conventional car to the digital vehicle won’t be fast or flawless, and automotive and software companies will have to unite as a team to help us get there.
To read more on why automakers and software companies must work together to build the infrastructure needed to transform the conventional car into a connected vehicle, read this interview with Andrew Till, Vice President for Technology, Partnerships & New Solutions for Harman Connected Services.