Cybercom drives vehicle communication development
Cybercom plays a key role in a development project that will stimulate co-operation between the vehicle and telecom industries. The project's purpose? To implement new functions and services in vehicles.
Cybercom is co-enabling a development project called open platform for nomadic devices (OPND). This project is part of VINNOVA's larger vehicles' IT and telematics (V-ICT) programme. Appello, Saab Automobile/GM, Scania, the Viktoria Institute, and Volvo Technology AB are also participating in the OPND project.
"Greater responsibility in the OPND project was a natural evolution for Cybercom," says Ingemar Söderlund, Saab Automobile. "The company has extensive vehicle expertise coupled with telecom, Internet, and media expertise."
The OPND project's goal is to create a platform that is aligned with vehicles' electrical architectures and to enable integration and services usage, which is driven by the electronics and mobile services (consumer) markets. The platform must be flexible, scaleable, future-safe, and cost-optimised.
"The vehicle industry's long product life cycle must be adapted to skyrocketing trends in the electronics market," says Ingmar Bengtsson, the project's technical manager at Cybercom in Gothenburg.
The previously mentioned services include telephony, navigation, audio, video and TV. The objective is to create a solution that can be easily upgraded to support new technologies and services, e.g., mobile services enabled via Bluetooth®. Users must be able to select equipment and service based on their preferences – and to benefit from vehicles' resources such as sound systems, screens, pushbutton (manoeuvring) systems, and security systems.
"The first proof of concept will be ready at year-end," says Ingmar Bengtsson, "with support from UPnP and online navigation, which enables functions such as seamless switching between the cell phone and the car. We're working with a top-priority area for all leading vehicle manufacturers worldwide."
Running telecom, Internet and media (TIM) related development projects for the vehicle industry constitutes one of Cybercom's core areas.