Connected Car news 8/22

In connected car news are Veoneer, Renesas, Dialog, MIPI Alliance, Cloud Bees, Nokia and Wind River.

Veoneer Proxy Filed

The automotive technology company Veoneer, Inc. (NYSE: VNE and SSE: VNE SDB), today announced that it has, as part of the process following the previously announced merger agreement with Magna International Inc. (TSX: MG; NYSE: MGA), filed a preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

The preliminary proxy statement is not complete and is subject to amendment. When available, a definitive proxy statement is expected to be sent to Veoneer stockholders in connection with a special meeting of Veoneer stockholders.

Separately, and as described in a press release from August 8, Veoneer has entered into preliminary discussions  with Qualcomm based on its proposal to acquire Veoneer.

Taiwan Waves Hello to Renesesas & Dialog Deal

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723, “Renesas”), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, and Dialog Semiconductor Plc (XETRA:DLG, “Dialog Semiconductor”), a leading provider of battery and power management, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth® low energy (BLE) and Industrial edge computing solutions, are pleased to announce that the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission has waived its jurisdiction to review the recommended all-cash acquisition of Dialog Semiconductor by Renesas.

The relevant authorities in Germany, the People’s Republic of China and the United States have already issued the anti-trust and/or foreign investment clearances, have allowed the applicable waiting period to expire or have waived jurisdiction, as appropriate. At the Dialog General Meeting and at the Court Meeting held on April 9, 2021, all resolutions proposed in connection with the Scheme were duly passed by the requisite majorities and, accordingly, the Acquisition has been approved by Dialog Shareholders.

The Scheme remains subject to the satisfaction or (if capable of waiver) waiver of certain remaining Conditions set out in the Scheme Document, including the Court’s sanction of the Scheme at the Court Sanction Hearing and the delivery of the Court Order to the Registrar of Companies. The current expected timetable of principal events for the implementation of the Scheme is set out in the announcement published jointly by Renesas and Dialog Semiconductor earlier today via a Regulatory Information Service. In particular, please note that the Court Sanction Hearing has been scheduled for August 27, 2021 (London time) and the closing date of the Acquisition is expected to be on August 30, 2021 (London time), August 31, 2021 (JST).

Renesas does not intend to implement significant changes to its organization at the time of the closing of the acquisition. A further announcement will be made upon August 30, 2021 (London time), August 31, 2021 (JST) when the acquisition is complete.

Note: Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meanings as given to them in the Scheme Document sent to Dialog Shareholders on March 8, 2021.

MIPI Alliance Specs for MIPI DSI-2 V2.0

The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, today announced the next generation of its widely implemented MIPI Display Serial Interface 2 (MIPI DSI-2) specification. MIPI DSI-2 v2.0 delivers significant improvements to the user experience while boosting power savings across far-reaching application spaces such as mobile, automotive and gaming. When coupled with the most recent versions of the MIPI C- and D-PHY physical interfaces, it also offers twice the bandwidth over the previous version.

Specifying the high-bandwidth link between host processors and displays, MIPI DSI-2 helps systems designers deliver the ultra-high-definition (UHD) video experience that their customers seek, while maximizing battery life, and minimizing cost and complexity. Features in the new version enable displays to seamlessly and efficiently operate in a variety of use cases, from high-resolution, high-frame-rate video modes (such as 8K with 120 fps), to responsive, low-latency graphical user interface “command” modes, and static modes—for dramatically improved display performance at the lowest possible power consumption. DSI-2 v2.0 is backward compatible with all previous versions of the specification.

“MIPI DSI-2 is deployed in many of the world’s handsets, smartwatches, virtual reality headsets, laptops, tablets and automobiles, and this significant update delivers the next generation of features required to propel innovation in display technologies,” said Joel Huloux, chairman of MIPI Alliance. “The new features introduced in MIPI DSI-2 v2.0 work together to enable dramatically enhanced gaming and other rich visual experiences at the lowest power consumption across the gamut of display applications.”

A key new feature is a video-to-command mode, which enables displays to seamlessly transition from highly immersive video modes of operation to less-intensive command modes for low-frame-rate GUI images. With the increasing popularity of gaming on mobile devices, this allows mobile-phone users, for example, to switch between gaming and other applications with minimal latency and performance impacts, while keeping the device’s power consumption in check.

Similarly, v2.0’s new adaptive refresh panel feature enables a device display to retain images for variable, extended durations without fixed refreshes from the host processor, saving power without requiring a peripheral frame buffer.

The v2.0 update also includes support for the latest VESA Display Stream Compression (VESA DSC) 1.2b and VESA Display Compression-M (VDC-M) 1.2 codecs. By incorporating both codecs, which provide between three to six times data compression while maintaining visually lossless viewing, DSI-2 offers design options to suit a variety of bandwidth and power requirements.

DSI-2 v2.0 can now support more than 6 gigapixels per second of uncompressed image content, based on coupling with the newest MIPI D-PHY v3.0, or MIPI C-PHY v2.0/v2.1 physical layer interfaces. Like its predecessors, DSI-2 v2.0 is highly scalable and flexible—it can support any resolution and can be configured with one or multiple data lanes, ultimately reducing design costs and time to market.

For automotive applications, DSI-2 is a core component of MIPI’s Automotive SerDes Solutions (MASS), a standardized connectivity framework built on the MIPI A-PHY SerDes specification for camera, sensor and display integration. Of particular note is a 2020 study demonstrating that the use of VDC-M in DSI-2 offers a solution to bandwidth challenges created by the growing number of advanced displays in next-generation vehicles.

CloudBees Releases DevOpsWorld Agenda

CloudBees, Inc., the headline sponsor of DevOps World, today announced the availability of the full conference agenda. The event, taking place Sept. 28-30, is free to register and attend online.

This year’s conference includes 130+ sessions and speakers and 65 hours of sessions covering diverse DevOps and software delivery topics in six unique tracks, including leadership,  financial services, government,  practitioner,  community and by the Continuous Delivery Foundation. Sessions will be presented by speakers from organizations such as: American Family Insurance, AWS, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Carnegie Mellon University, Cisco, DevOps Institute, DZ BANK, Elastic, IBM, MongoDB, Red Hat, SAP, Slack, Snyk, Sonatype, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Internal Revenue Service and VMWare.

Nokia Releases 5G Course and Certification

Nokia announced a new professional level 5G course and certification aimed at network security. The Nokia Bell Labs 5G Secured Networks course is part of Nokia’s program to train and certify industry professionals on 5G technology, from network access to application management.

The newly launched Nokia Bell Labs 5G Secured Networks course addresses the vulnerabilities faced by all industries, governments and individuals to secure 5G systems. Given that 5G is becoming a key element of emerging mission-critical Industry 4.0 solutions, securing 5G networks has moved to the forefront as an industry imperative, for which comprehensive end-to-end solutions are needed.

Geert Van Wauwe, Chief Security Officer at Nokia, said: “5G will empower new services and applications beyond our imagination. However, user acceptance will be based on trust that information has not been breached and services cannot be compromised. Therefore, the Nokia Bell Labs 5G Secured Networks course and certification are essential for educating professionals to a high level of understanding on how to build and operate secure 5G networks.”

Sergio Fasce, Head of People Services at Nokia, said: “With security breaches dominating news headlines at an alarming rate, the Nokia Bell Labs 5G Secured Networks Certification Program brings a greater awareness to network susceptibility and safeguards, along with the means to address them. We are pleased to have partnered with our colleagues at Nokia Bell Labs to deliver a training program addressing arguably the most timely and impactful issue facing the communications industry today.”

The 8-hour web-based course, which can be completed at the learner’s own pace, covers the processes, tools, technologies and resources needed to implement an effective program that proactively prevents and resolves threats to network security. Course participants will examine the role of 5G security in network, software and cloud environments, and they will apply an understanding of security threats, protections and potential responses through a series of real-world case study exercises.

The Nokia Bell Labs 5G Certification Program is a first-of-its-kind program that offers professionals across the information and communications technology (ICT) industry two levels of certification – Associate and Professional – that deliver essential knowledge covering everything from the basics of 5G networks to professional level planning and design. This course is the fourth of the Nokia Bell Labs 5G Professional Level Certification Program, and nearly 30,000 individuals across many industries have registered for 5G certification courses since its February 2020 launch.

As a leader in cellular technology R&D and standardization, Nokia is in a unique position to address network security challenges in the 5G world. Nokia has implemented more than 500 security projects worldwide over the past 15 years, and plays an active role in more than five standardization bodies that are shaping the latest in security standards and best practices. It is also number one in granted essential 5G patents, with more than 3,500 5G patent families declared essential for 5G. Driven by world-class innovations from across the organization, including the renowned Nokia Bell Labs, it has played a leading role in contributing technologies to 5G, working with 3GPP to establish 5G standards and enabling the rollout of 5G networks.

Hyundai Motor Group Chooses Qt Company

The Qt Company today announces that the multinational automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group has selected Qt as their key HMI technology partner for all Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brand vehicles. Qt, the leading global software technology, will enable the development of Hyundai’s ‘ccOS (Connected Car Operating System)’ across the In-Vehicle Infotainment System, Instrument Cluster and Rear Seat Entertainment systems. The first Hyundai vehicle using Qt for its HMI technology was the Genesis GV80 launched in late 2019 and followed by the design award-winning G80 and GV70.

The ccOS, developed by Hyundai, controls and operates the key aspects of connected car infrastructure; In-Vehicle Framework, Infotainment Framework and Connectivity Framework, to ensure connected cars can adapt to new innovations in safety, comfort, convenience and security. With Qt, automotive companies like Hyundai Motor Group are able to develop sophisticated technological solutions such as 3D effects and meet the challenging and fast changing automotive requirements for different domains like IVI and Cluster/HUD easily and with one code base. Hyundai Motor Group will leverage Qt Design Studio, a UI designer and development tool, to accelerate their HMI development process from prototyping to deployment.

Qt is used by more than 1.5 million developers in companies across the world including LG Electronics, Bosch and Rockwell Automation. Built with productivity as its cornerstone, Qt empowers companies to meet the increasing software market requirements driven by the exponential growth of the IoT market and the stagnant growth of available software developers. Qt puts next-generation user experience at the heart of product development, streamlining designer-developer processes and feedback cycles to ensure a higher success rate in delivery.

Wind River Releases Intelligent Systems Future Report

Wind River®, a global leader in delivering software for intelligent systems, has issued new research, “13 Characteristics of an Intelligent Systems Future,” which examines the technology characteristics roadmap for a mission-critical intelligent systems world. The study predicts that success depends on properly timing the implementation of 13 key intelligent system characteristics that support a rapidly evolving intelligent systems machine economy.

An Intelligent Systems Future

By 2030, $7 trillion of the U.S. economy will be driven by the machine economy, in which systems and business models increasingly engage in unlocking the power of data and new technology platforms. Intelligent systems are helping to drive the machine economy and more fully realize IoT. Further fueling this future is the growth of 5G, AI, automation, and cloud native technologies, as well as an increasing intersection of IoT and the edge. This potent combination has opened up new possibilities for far edge applications such as robotics, drones, telemedicine, and autonomous vehicles. Realizing this promise requires a new approach to building systems that can compute, sense, learn, and adjust in near-latency-free real time on the edge. Executives across the automotive, energy and utilities, medical, telecommunications, industrial manufacturing, and aerospace and defense sectors share a common belief that this future is going to require a new blueprint.

The report surveyed technology executives across various mission-critical industries and revealed the 13 requirements of the intelligent systems world for which industry leaders must prepare. The research found that 80% of these technology leaders desire intelligent systems success within the next five years.

Success in this machine economy will be dictated by the technology approaches and capabilities that are built now. 62% of technology leaders are putting into place strategies to move to an intelligent systems future, and 16% are already committed, investing, and performing strongly. It’s estimated that this 16% could realize at least four times higher ROI than their peers who are equally committed but not organized for success in the same way. Additionally, those who are succeeding have prioritized overcoming challenges posed by skill shortages and ongoing cyberthreats, which were two of the most commonly cited barriers in the study.

“In a growing machine economy driven by intelligent systems, humans and machines are on a path to a future where data will exponentially increase the volume, type, and quality of work that is possible, across all industries. These new use cases will demand more complex computing workloads, data, and analytics, and often that must happen in real time,” said Michael Gale, chief marketing officer at Wind River. “Wind River is at the forefront of helping companies address the complexities surrounding the secure development, deployment, operations, and servicing of mission-critical intelligent systems for the next generation.”

Blueprints Leverage 13 Key Intelligent Systems Characteristics

The research surfaced 13 key characteristics that are critical markers for successful intelligent systems. It also highlighted the importance of investing the right elements at the right time, or “blueprinting.” In the case of building intelligent systems, three concepts are key: prepare the right infrastructure first, next work on foundational needs, and then address longer-term capabilities.

The 13 key characteristics are:

  • Ability to simulate and emulate in near real time
  • Automated learning and machine learning functionalities
  • Digital feedback loops that influence product development
  • Action based on sensory data and algorithms
  • Customized device experience in the cloud
  • True compute on the far edge
  • Adapting tasks based on reprogramming via cloud
  • Ability to predict stresses and failures
  • Detection and resolution of events
  • Total automation
  • Near-real-time, seamless connections across multiple ecosystems
  • Real-time collaborative workflow platform
  • Experimenting as a learning system

The study also indicates that just four of the 13 characteristics create the most possible impact: true compute on the edge, a common workflow platform, AI/ML capabilities, and ecosystems of real-time applications. These characteristics are core needs on which longer-term success is dependent. Without these, it would not be possible to build all the remaining characteristics and achieve success.

Insights by Industry

The report also highlights key findings by vertical industry, providing a blueprint that isolates the key characteristics most critical to that market and pinpoints when to invest in them. Input was sourced from companies in the aerospace and defense, automotive, energy and utilities, industrial, medical, and telecommunications markets. Leaders in these markets shared their perspectives in the following areas:

  • Key components for mission-critical success in intelligent systems
  • Barriers and drivers in the adoption of intelligent systems
  • Factors that would accelerate the adoption of intelligent systems in each sector
  • The importance of each intelligent systems characteristic as it pertains to investments
  • The importance of 5G, AL, ML, and cybersecurity in their decision-making
  • What the future of embedded devices and solutions looks like in an intelligent systems world
  • Where digital feedback loops are most crucial for success
  • Which key metrics define success
  • Where intelligent systems could have extensive value in addressing wider societal issues

The extreme demands of an intelligent systems future present new complexities and challenges. Drawing from its proven expertise across the intelligent systems landscape, Wind River can help companies at any stage of the journey. Wind River Studio is a cloud native platform for the development, deployment, operations, and servicing of mission-critical intelligent systems from devices to cloud. It enables dramatic improvements in productivity, agility, and time-to-market, with seamless technology integration that includes far edge cloud compute, data analytics, security, 5G, and AI/ML.

Full research findings, including in-depth vertical industry insights and technology investment blueprints, are available at www.windriver.com/intelligent-systems.