Microsoft has made major inroads into the dashboard in the last few years, starting with its Blue & Me system for Fiat and with Sync for Ford shortly afterward. And the company's deal with Hyundai-Kia signals that the software giant plans to expand its foothold in automotive infotainment.
But some car companies and suppliers are hoping that Microsoft doesn't get a lock on automotive software the way it has in the PC market and have joined together to support open-source software development.
The GENIVI Alliance includes such heavyweights as BMW, GM, Delphi, Visteon, Intel, Magneti Marelli, Peugeot Citroen and Wind River. The companies have banded together to create "a common software architecture that is scalable across product lines and generations." And the alliance claims that "the platform will accelerate the pace at which automakers can deliver new solutions, bringing them closer to the life cycle of consumer [electronics] devices."
And perhaps thwart Microsoft's plan for global dashboard dominance.
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