Ford selects Wind River over-the-air update technology

ALAMEDA, CA — Oct. 15, 2018 — Wind River®, a leader in delivering IoT software for safety-critical domains including automotive, today announced that Ford Motor Company is using Wind River over-the-air (OTA) update technology.

To deliver advanced connected car capabilities, Wind River Edge Sync technology can provide differential updates that allow the ability to minimize data update size, transmission time, and memory usage for updating vehicle software over the air. By creating the most minimal differential update possible during OTA updates, this approach offers the potential for cost reductions as well as a better experience for consumers.

With OTA updates, carmakers can rapidly deploy secure, cost-efficient updates and new features to connected vehicles, eliminating software recalls and the associated costs.

“Complexity is dramatically increasing as new capabilities are expected from connected, highly intelligent cars, and software is the key to enabling this transformation within the industry,” said Marques McCammon, vice president of Automotive at Wind River. “Automakers must keep pace with innovation while also ensuring that they deliver safe vehicles. Therefore, the ability to continuously and remotely update, resolve issues and introduce new features for improved customer satisfaction will be more critical than ever. By delivering new innovations to companies like Ford, we’re helping to improve efficiencies and experiences for carmakers and their customers.”

Edge Sync is a software framework for remote OTA updates and software lifecycle management that allows for rapid, safe, and secure updates to software and firmware throughout the vehicle lifecycle, from initial product development through to the end of life of the vehicle. Edge Sync enables rapid, cost-effective solutions for software-related updates, corrections to security vulnerabilities, and feature-related recalls, as well as helps automakers introduce new and exciting value-add features to vehicles that are already in the hands of customers.

Beyond OTA updates, Wind River’s diverse automotive portfolio also includes the high-performance, market-leading VxWorks® RTOS, tuned for determinism and responsiveness, with a proven track record in safety- and security-certified environments. For less critical functions, such as infotainment, Wind River delivers Wind River Linux and other commercial-grade open source technologies, world-class technical support, and maintenance to help customers stay up to date on the latest innovations. With decades of experience in mission-critical industries such as avionics, aerospace, automotive, and industrial, Wind River has built its business in successfully handling intricate matters such as regulations and software integration for systems where failure is not an option.