Consumers today can use their smartphones, tablets, and televisions to access their personal content at any time, and they expect their cars to support this connected lifestyle. The problem is, infotainment systems have been slow to keep up. As a result, consumers often turn to their smartphones while driving – a dangerous practice. The challenge, and opportunity, for automakers is to help consumers stay connected safely, and at an acceptable price point.

To meet these demands, automakers and their suppliers are working to create infotainment platforms that will:

• offer a high-quality, branded experience for the consumer using Qt and HTML5
• support new content, apps, and features long after the car has been purchased
• allow brought-in consumer devices to augment the car’s built-in apps and features

Consumers will not adopt infotainment systems if they are priced out of reach. Automakers must therefore control lifecycle costs for these systems – for everything from design, acquisition, and inventory to warranty and field repair. To achieve this goal, automakers need a platform approach that lets them :

• leverage mobile-industry technologies and skill sets, including silicon and app environments such as Qt, Android, and HTML5
• reuse technology across a range of entry-level, mid-level, and high-end systems
• reduce the number of SKUs needed to support a variety of vehicle makes and models
• implement a common field upgrade capability to curtail warranty and repair costs

Building an infotainment system that delivers the features consumers want while meeting stringent automotive requirements is a massive undertaking. That’s why we created the QNX^® CAR Platform for Infotainment. By integrating a rich choice of hardware and software partner technologies with road-proven QNX technology, we have created a turnkey platform that jump-starts our customers’ projects and allows them to:

• build the rich, connected in-car experience that consumers demand
• select from an integrated set of customizable, high-demand apps for Internet radio, location-based services, weather, etc.
• build and deploy apps using web (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript), and Qt technologies
• seamlessly blend HTML5, OpenGL ES, and Qt components with a number of partner HMI toolkits, using our innovative screen compositing technology
• connect with smartphones through Bluetooth, DLNA, MirrorLink, USB, Wi-Fi, and emerging automotive interfaces
• meet stringent automotive requirements for fast boot, low-latency connectivity, high-performance graphics, and media robustness
• dynamically upgrade the infotainment system software over the air
• deploy a scalable platform on a wide range of automotive silicon, for systems that range from entry level to high end

QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment with 3D navigation

Concept infotainment system built with QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment displaying 3D navigation.

Selecting the best platform is a great starting point. But every infotainment development project is different, with its own mix of developers, hardware suppliers, and software suppliers. What's more, every automaker wants to offer differentiating features and has unique requirements. We understand this, so we offer a range of professional services that can be tailored to the needs of each project.

Our professional services team has been supporting automakers and Tier 1 suppliers for well over a decade, in numerous production programs. They know what it takes to deliver automotive systems on time and on budget. Through their deep experience, they can help troubleshoot and solve an array of system integration and performance optimization challenges in high-pressure situations where the customer must meet a start-of-production (SOP) date.

Today's infotainment systems are complex. They need to combine an array of embedded and connected technologies — everything from on- and off-board navigation to application integration, media playback, speech recognition, Internet media streaming, mobile connectivity for hands-free calls, and low-level device drivers. No single automotive company has the expertise to build a complete system; a strong ecosystem is critical. That’s why we work closely with our QNX^® CAR Platform for Infotainment partners to provide a complete, functional reference implementation that customers can power up and start exploring.

The QNX automotive ecosystem is always expanding. Please contact your QNX sales representative for the most up-to-date list.