OpenCar is a company which says its vision for the Connected Car is to "help make the time people spend in their cars more safe, useful, and enjoyable" and that it believes "cars should offer Apps that make smartphones irrelevant to drivers when they're behind the wheel. For automakers, system integrators, software developers, OpenCar changes how Apps are created for the car, and how drivers experience their digital lifestyles within the car."
INRIX says this advanced technology "finally gives automakers the framework to deliver one infotainment platform across all cars and regions, enabling app developers the scale and resources never before available in the vehicle.
The company says that OpenCar will offer a number of "game changers":
- Framework fully controlled by the automaker
- Enables driver-specific personalization
- Keeps automaker's brand consistent throughout the entire infotainment experience
- Ecosystem includes internet radio, news, navigation, parking, fuel services and more.
The company goes on to say that, "unlike Google's Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which limits automaker-specific customization and requires access to sensitive car data," the OpenCar framework is fully controlled by the automaker and enables for brand-, model- and region-specific touch and voice interfaces across the entire infotainment experience.
"This unique capability empowers OEMs to enhance their brand and satisfy consumer demand through a variety of in-car information, media and location-based applications. While OpenCar is designed to understand the data generated by advanced vehicle systems, control of how it is used, shared and stored remains in the hands of the automaker."
'Today, over half of the connected vehicles in the world use INRIX services. By 2020, more than a quarter of a billion connected cars will be on the road,' said Bryan Mistele, president and CEO of INRIX. 'With the OpenCar acquisition, INRIX is in the driver's seat to provide those connected services and expand into the digital dashboard with unique, easy-to-use applications designed especially for next-gen automotive experiences.'
