Ford and Toyota have partnered to develop an open source software platform for connecting and controlling smartphones in vehicles, called SmartDeviceLink. In an attempt to pre-empt platforms from mobile majors such as Google or Apple, the companies have united a wide range of vehicle makers around the platform based on Ford's AppLink, which was already made open source in 2013.
Members of the SmartDeviceLink consortium include Mazda, PSA, Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru) and Suzuki Motor, as well as component suppliers Elektrobit, Luxoft and Xevo. Audio manufacturers and software developers Harman, Panasonic, Pioneer and QNX also have signed letters of intent to join.
SmartDeviceLink gives consumers access to smartphone apps using voice commands and in-vehicle displays. The automakers want to develop a uniform standard in order to make it easier for customers to change car or phone brands and faciltate developers working on new functions to integrate mobile apps in the car. Developers are able integrate their app functions with in-vehicle technology such as the vehicle display screen, steering wheel controls and voice recognition. Participating companies and suppliers will be able to deliver user experiences that meet their individual standards while retaining control over how much access apps have to vehicle data.
SmartDeviceLink technology is based on Ford’s contribution of its AppLink software to the open source community in 2013. Ford AppLink software is currently available on more than 5 million vehicles globally. Popular apps such as Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, AccuWeather and others are already available to Ford AppLink users. Toyota plans to commercialize a telematics system using SDL around 2018. Detroit based Ford subsidiary Livio will manage the open source project and provide guidance to the SmartDeviceLink consortium and its members.
