HERE Technologies has announced the launch of a new over-the-air (OTA) solution for automakers to use in connected vehicles. HERE OTA Connect resolves a critical problem: ensuring that data, software and firmware can be transferred between the cloud and a vehicle securely to update and enhance vehicle functions.
Because it’s designed to integrate into the automaker’s backend and uses open-source technology, OTA Connect can be offered to automotive customers globally and avoids lock-in to specific vendors. Currently available as a standalone product, HERE plans to combine OTA Connect with its suite of automotive software and services in the coming months, and make the technology available for non-automotive applications, which could include robotics and drones.
HERE OTA Connect is a forerunner in preventing and mitigating the risks associated with unleashing new driving technology on roads and highways. The more connected and automated vehicles become, the more heightened security measures are necessary. HERE OTA Connect provides an essential link in the security chain. Its technology uses Uptane, a security framework backed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designed specifically for software that runs on connected and autonomous cars. Uptane is the first compromise-resilient security software solution to be discussed at the international level.
As conversations about connected and autonomous cars turn to safety standards and regulations, international law commissions and government bodies are working to make OTA compliance mandatory. The U.S. Department of Transportation, U.K. Department of Transport and the German BMVI are working on national-level legislation involving OTA updates. On a global level, the UN Task Force (UNECE WP29) is expected to issue a recommendation in mid-2018, with a resolution expected in 2019.
The HERE OTA Connect technology was created by Advanced Telematic Systems (ATS), a Berlin- based software company specializing in automotive products, which HERE acquired in January 2018.
Source: HERE
