General Motors has announced a new open-source software protocol to increase software development and improve customer experiences in connected vehicles. GM’s protocol is a “starting point” for other automakers and developers.
The automaker disclosed that the “uProtocol” is a part of the business’s strategy to hasten software development by facilitating the usage of distinctive software across various automotive devices: such as the cloud and mobile devices. GM is also joining the “world’s largest open source software foundation,” Eclipse Foundation, a Brussels-based organization.
Additionally, the automaker sees the software as an opportunity to work across the industry. According to Frank Ghenassia, chief executive architect of software-defined vehicles at GM, the company launched its open-source protocol hoping that “the rest of the industry will also adopt a similar mindset of sharing more software and enable more connectivity across the industry.” She continues, “We can be successful as an industry overall by creating software that will benefit our clients.”
The auto industry has also been on a hiring spree over the past few years, seizing thousands of software workers to enhance their fleets’ technical complexity. These businesses now have even more potential to expand their ranks of programmers and tech-savvy employees because of the recent layoffs in Silicon Valley.
The result has been an onslaught of connected cars. GM’s proprietary software Ultifi can power everything from weather apps to facial recognition in-vehicle cameras. The Linux-based platform will also be available to independent software developers wishing to make other features for GM customers.
This rollout is not GM’s attempt to standardize the content being transferred back and forth, but rather, standardize the pathways of communication.
