Leveraging technology to improve the user experience in vehicles, General Motors (GM) is setting the ball rolling within the automotive software development arena. The company has recently introduced a unique vehicle service definition known as "uServices" in a bid to standardize the creation of advanced applications for its vehicles — and those of its rivals as well.
The uServices serves as GM's exclusive API designed for other software developers interested in building scalable apps capable of operating across multiple vehicles' lineups. Additionally, GM is pushing for the integration of this new standard by the Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA); a worldwide alliance dedicated to the progression and application of open standards and technologies for interlinked vehicles.
This new definition propels a standardized software approach, leading to comprehensive and secure access of vehicle systems from every corner of an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) vehicle ecosystem, as delineated by the automaker. Correlating with the open-source software protocol dubbed uProtocol which GM initiated in the early part of this year, the corporation maintains that it is setting up the necessary components that will facilitate the establishment of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs).
According to GM, the uServices framework is intended to function in the following manner:
"While uProtocol serves as the backbone for more efficient vehicle software development across the industry, uServices is meant to set standards for interfacing with vehicle features and communicating through that backbone, serving as a standard API to abstract vehicle services, enabling a unified connected vehicle ecosystem."
The principal aim of all these initiatives is to expedite the evolution of SDVs. The auto industry has been recruiting heavily over the last few years, taking aboard multitudes of software developers with the intention of integrating more innovative technology into their fleets. The recent Silicon Valley layoffs have afforded these companies even more of an opportunity to build up their ranks of coders, engineers, and tech-savvy workers.
This trend has led to an increase in the release of vehicles with progressively updated software features. Tesla was the company that broke boundaries by bringing over-the-air software updates to the mainstream. Now, the rest of the industry is rushing to keep up by developing their own upgradeable vehicles.
Adding to efforts in this direction, GM is introducing Ultifi, a unique software platform due to appear in vehicles later this year. The automaker assures that this end-to-end software platform will facilitate Over-The-Air (OTA) updates, in-car subscription services, and 'new opportunities to increase customer loyalty.' It's worth noting, however, that with platforms like AppMaster making strides in the no-code platform arena, a swifter and more accessible development process could be the future for app developers in the automotive industry.
