| | The arena of in car infotainment is set to witness a sea-change in terms of functionality as well as features. One such system of the future is Continental's AutoLinQ solution which is touted to be a mix of car infotainment, personal web and social media interaction. Mr. Ming Jing shared the details of this new product in order to help Vikram Gour decipher this future technology. ZW: Could you elaborate on the AutoLinQ concept? Ming: AutoLinQ is a platform that boasts of an open architecture which works in tandem with your car's computer, home computer, mobile phone and any other device that has internet capability. The basis behind the architecture is known as the Android Marketplace, which also allows third party programmers to add on to this platform. In layman terms, AutoLinQ is like your regular infotainment system, except it's been built in a manner that allows you to constantly upgrade it. New features and add-on programs can be made available from the manufacturer or a third party programmer. So, what you get is an entertainment system that you never have to replace. It's the coming together of the internet ecosystem and your car. |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | ZW: What does this functionality translate to for the end customer? Ming: It is an out of the box solution for many applications. The few that we have thought of include HomeLinQ, where you can log onto the net and check up on your car, as the AutoLinQ is also connected to your car's onboard computer. So from home you could check if your doors are locked, the location of your car, how much fuel you have, your tyre pressure and such. MobileLinQ also works in a similar manner, wherein you can access your car's information through your cell phone. CarLinQ is another functionality that the AutoLinQ offers. This function allows you to get real time traffic updates in your car by logging onto the net. Further to this, you could link up to your social network sites and also find friends in the area. The possibilities are endless. ZW: The possibilities extend even into the realm of safety, from what I understand. Ming: That's right. With the AutoLinQ system, you would be able to continuously track your car at all times from either your mobile phone or home computer. Say your children take car out, you can be sure they are heading to the place they told you! The system can also alert you if there is trouble with the car. For example, your wife is driving home after work and she has a flat tyre, you could figure this out just from your home computer or mobile phone and offer her immediate assistance, or drive out to help her yourself. These again, are just basic options, the more services offered, the better this system becomes. ZW: What triggered the development of such a system? Ming: The cost of developing a multi functional interface for an automobile is rather expensive. More over, those systems are closed and work only in conjunction with that particular vehicle. We wanted to do something that was out of the box and offered a continuous platform for upgrades. Automobile manufacturers could upgrade systems even after they have sold the car, third party programmers could offer unique add-on facilities and the customer would eventually be king as they would get to customize the options of their system as per their requirements. Offering such a platform was a challenge from the beginning, however we have made it possible. |
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