How will HTML5 play out in the car? A video series roundup

Last Fall, my colleagues Andy Gryc and Nancy Young launched a video series on HTML5 in the car. To their credit, they took the surround-sound approach and asked a variety of people from the automotive ecosystem to weigh in on the topic. So far, they've interviewed executives from Audi, OnStar, and TCS, as well as automotive and web-technology experts from QNX Software Systems and RIM.

Naturally, everyone they spoke to has a different take on the topic. So I thought I'd bring all the videos together in one place to give you an overall view of how the industry sees HTML5 playing out in the car. Grab some popcorn, dim the lights, and check them out:

Kickoff video

Andy Gryc kicks off the series with his take on why he believes HTML5 is poised to become the foundation for next-gen automotive apps and HMIs:

Interview with Steve Schwinke of OnStar

Andy catches up with Steve Schwinke, director of advanced technology for OnStar, who believes that HTML5 can change the auto industry for the better. (Did you know? The OnStar RemoteLink App for BlackBerry was coded in HTML5):

Interview with Michael Camp of TCS

Andy Gryc sits down with Michael Camp, director of engineering for in-car telematics at TeleCommunication Systems (TCS), to get a software supplier's perspective on HTML5. Michael is a very articulate guy, and worth a listen:

The myth buster interview

Andy meets up with Kerry Johnson of QNX to poke holes into the most common myths about HTML5. They discuss how HTML5 apps can deliver snappy performance, run without a Web browser, and even work without an Internet connection:

Interview with Matthew Staikos of RIM

Andy talks with Matthew Staikos, web-technology manager at RIM, about the impact of HTML5 on hardware options, memory usage, and app stores:

Interview with Sheridan Ethier

Andy meets up with Sheridan Ethier of QNX to get a developer's perspective on HTML5:

Interview with Mathias Haliger of Audi

And last but not least, here's the most recent installment in the HTML5 video series, which we featured a couple of week ago. Mathias Haliger, head of MMI system architecture at Audi AG, speaks with QNX marketing VP Derek Kuhn about the importance of HTML5 to his company and why he considers it a game changer:


 

Crossing the boundaries: Cooperation across industries will fuel the connected car

A guest post by Brian Salisbury of Telecommunication Systems (TCS)

Connected car – these two words appear together more and more these days. Consider, for example, two events that took place in February: The Connected Car Executive Lunch organized by Fierce Wireless and held during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and the Telecom Council’s Mobile Forum: Connected Car meeting hosted by Marvell Semiconductor in Silicon Valley.

Speakers at these events came from mobile operators (AT&T Mobility, Orange, Sprint, Verizon), auto manufacturers (Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota), and platform and solution providers (Nokia, Pioneer, QNX Software Systems, TCS). No doubt about it, the car is now connecting industries.

Although these two events were held on different continents, the topics on the minds of attendees were very similar:

• Who “owns” the customer?
• Will the connection be part of the car, or brought to the car by its driver?
• How can the “wild west” of the Internet be safely incorporated into the car?
• What is the business model for such a multi-part solution?
• What will be the “killer app” for connected car, or is there no such thing?

The presentations and discussions were diverse, as each group sought to define their role in terms that extend logically from their own past experience, and that could provide them with some control over the outcome. Thankfully, every group shared the common goal of making sure that connected cars are safe cars, and that the introduction of new connected services doesn’t create driver distraction problems.

We are clearly on the verge of a new generation of services being extended into the car that can enhance many aspects of owning, operating, and riding in tomorrow’s vehicles. Those of us fortunate enough to be part of one of these groups will have some amazing opportunities to bring the best of our respective industries into this new space, and to build new relationships across industry boundaries.

For an example of how TCS is helping to enable the connected car, check out this post on the VW Polo that was showcased at Mobile World Congress — Ed.

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Here’s a little more about Brian and TCS:

Brian Salisbury is director of business development at TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), where he is responsible for developing new business with OEMs, platform providers, and developers in the LBS ecosystem. Brian has worked in the mobile industry for more than 25 years, with most of that experience being in mobile data and location-based services, and within semiconductor, device manufacturer, and network operator companies.

TCS (NASDAQ: TSYS) is a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology. TCS infrastructure forms the foundation for market leading solutions in E9-1-1, text messaging, commercial location and deployable wireless communications. TCS is at the forefront of new mobile cloud computing services providing wireless applications for navigation, hyper-local search, asset tracking, social applications and telematics.
 

TCS showcases hybrid navigation system in VW Polo

The Porsche 911 concept car that won the 2012 Best of CES award wasn't the only QNX-outfitted vehicle at Mobile World Congress this year. Our friends at TeleCommunication Systems (TCS), who provide hybrid navigation software for the QNX CAR application platform, showcased a VW Polo running the same QNX-powered navigation, maps, and local search capabilities as the Porsche.

Like the Porsche, the Polo featured a retrofitted infotainment system in place of the factory radio — and TCS did a very nice job integrating it into the car.

The Polo was a hit, driving discussions with mobile operators, handset manufacturers, automakers, and automotive tier ones. Seems the connected car is a hot topic just about everywhere you go these days.

Here's the Polo in the TCS booth:



And here's a close-up of the retrofitted infotainment system: