The Terminal Mode specification has been published by Nokia and CE4A (Consumer Electronics for Automotive), the automotive industry working group comprising Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen. Encouraging wide adoption of the specification, Nokia and CE4A have already announced collaborations with Alpine Electronics, Continental, Fiat, Harman Becker, Magneti Marelli and Valmet Automotive.
The selection of the underlying VNC technology by major tier one equipment suppliers and automotive manufacturers provides further independent endorsement of the applicability of VNC within consumer electronics, mobile devices and embedded in-vehicle solutions such as head units and infotainment systems.
“We are delighted to show our support for this initiative”, said Tom Blackie, vice president for mobile at RealVNC. “This is an important industry development and we have a comprehensive and mature cross platform solution available immediately for multiple operating systems that is a testament to the many years of effort that has gone into the development of VNC.”
RealVNC’s Mobile Solution for Automotive permits mobile devices to be automatically detected, accessed and controlled through the head unit touchscreen, bezel keys or steering wheel controls as they enter the vehicle.
A key consideration for the automotive industry is the promotion and adoption of safe driving practices. Built-in mechanisms interlock vehicle speed and access to applications to meet regulatory requirements and enhance safety. VNC technology provides a single, common device independent communications protocol, with RealVNC maintaining the cross-platform VNC Server software running on the mobile devices for all operating systems and new mobile devices.
This provides car manufacturers and tier one suppliers with the advantage of not having to continuously upgrade in-vehicle system software to keep pace within the fast moving mobile market.