Your new car will stay young longer thanks to a system that eliminates obsolescence of infotainment systems

If we talk about the sector in which the vast majority of car manufacturers are still lagging behind, it is certainly that of infotainment . It does not matter if a car is new or if it has been on the market for more than four or five years, its system is very likely to appear outdated compared to that of recently released models.

Some brands are trying to remedy this by offering remote OTA (over-the-air) updates , but system hardware limitations are a hindrance. Just like our smartphones, there will come a time when the car's system hardware can no longer handle so much information and applications. Harman , for its part, claims to have found a solution for future cars with its Harman Ready Upgrade .

Developing a new car takes time. From conception of the design to its market launch, it takes an average of four to five years to carry out tests, ensure reliability, make modifications and carry out new tests. Then the car has to stay on the market for six to eight years, sometimes even longer.

In the best-case scenario, the infotainment system built into the car when it hits the market uses hardware that is already around four years old. If you buy the car at the end of its commercial cycle, then the system will be around 10 years old. During this time, software and its requirements for memory, RAM, and processing power have continued to evolve.

Although car manufacturers are building computing power into control chips in anticipation of future updates, it is impossible to anticipate 100% of all developments. Ultimately, the car may become digitally obsolete. For example, premium brands still offer map DVD updates for their car navigation systems dating back to 2008, but the quality and functionality of this system remains the same as in 2008, without the updates of the real-time traffic, for example.

Change the brain of the infotainment system with a simple gesture .

The Harman Ready upgrade controls audio, navigation and all information on all displays in the car.

The Harman Ready Upgrade system represents the heart of the system, acting as a central controller in a specific model. It is plug-and-play and pre-certified for use in this particular model, providing power to all of the car's displays such as the instrument cluster, infotainment and head-up display, as well as the communications.

It is available in three capacity, price and feature levels, and is pre-qualified to meet the requirements of all major markets. The radio is included in a separate unit, eliminating the need to differentiate the Ready Upgrade by geography (only the radio module differs).

Harman-Ready Upgrade

From a user perspective, this seems to have little immediate benefit. However, Harman's system aims to avoid the obsolescence of the car, in particular of its infotainment system, which risks becoming less efficient than our smartphones in a few years.

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) can use the current version of Harman Ready Upgrade drivers during development, exchange and update them regularly (a new version every 18 months with OTA updates several times a year). year). They can then release the latest version, saving up to 70% of development costs. In theory, this should help reduce the price of the car . However, it is important to emphasize that this remains an assumption.

Ferrari is the first brand to use the Harman Ready Upgrade system.

Currently, the first brand to adopt the Ready Upgrade system for its cars is Ferrari . This initiative will allow Ferrari customers to upgrade and customize the features and services of their vehicles with greater flexibility, similar to the experience offered by smartphones.

The success of this system will depend on the adhesion of other car manufacturers. Many manufacturers recognize the growing importance of software in showcasing their cars and as a potential source of revenue.

Whether it's Mercedes unleashing the power of its electric cars, BMW allowing the heated seats to be activated or deactivated via a subscription, or Tesla with its autonomous driving system, all these manufacturers are emphasizing software in addition the development of new technologies such as motors and batteries.

If Harman can convince manufacturers that they can focus on the software while outsourcing the hardware (Ready Upgrade being based on a low-code approach), this system could experience growing popularity.