iviLink

iviLink of Luxoft company represents the advanced technology open source developed and announced in 2012. This technology ensures safe and effective operation of applications in automobile devices. iviLink involves a large number of developers who help to improve technology and to create new applications and options of use. iviLink represents the open platform which provides connection of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, to the information and entertaining systems of the car. The tool kit for development (SDK) of iviLink is available to free downloading on the website www.ivilink.net.

On May 3, 2012 at the 6th conference of alliance GENIVI the Luxoft company entering into IBS group announced the latest development for the automobile sector – the platform for integration of the mobile devices iviLink. iviLink guarantees reliable connection of such mobile devices as smartphones based on Android and iOS, tablet computers to the information and entertaining systems of the car, including the dashboard, the radio tuner, the multimedia systems for passengers of back seats, etc. As a result of iviLink provides safe, bilateral integration for use of a multimedia content controlled the manufacturer of the original equipment.

iviLink provides a number of advantages at connection of devices in the car. Bilateral application integration between the car and the mobile device through iviLink allows drivers and passengers it is easy to start and use the favourite applications for Android or Apple iOS using the front control panel of the car or screens for passengers of back seats. Besides, function of remote control in the car allows passengers to regulate climate control and also to manage multimedia flows using mobile devices. When using iviLink in cars without the built-in navigation system, mobile devices can execute a role of the touch information screen for the driver. Passengers of front and back seats can use usual content directly in time of a trip.

The iviLink platform provides new advantages to car makers and the largest suppliers of autocomponents and also application developers and manufacturers of mobile devices. iviLink offers them competitive advantages due to expansion of multimedia opportunities and functions of connection to the existing and developed information and entertaining systems. Besides, iviLink gives an opportunity of safe and simple timely updating of automobile software without serious risks for all system.

The iviLink platform conforming to standards of GENIVI is compatible to different operating systems (Android, iOS and Linux) and covers various data transfer protocols (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, DLNA and others). iviLink is available in the form of a set of development tools of software (SDK) and provides to developers all necessary tools for fast and effective creation of mobile applications.

Integration of mobile applications into the car

Problem of use of mobile applications in the car – one of the most difficult and relevant in the world of modern car electronics. The users of smartphones and tablets having an opportunity to operate in hundreds of thousands of application do not want to be reconciled more with scarcity and limitation of functional filling of the automobile head devices preset by producers. The Luxoft company, the leading Russian software maker for cars, offers own technology for flexible and safe integration of mobile applications with the automobile multimedia systems.

The iviLink technology is specially developed for controlled use of mobile applications in the machine. The technology includes various levels of support as program writers for popular operating systems Android and iOS, and producers of automobile devices. iviLink provides a set of tools for integration of mobile and automobile applications, including modules of ensuring communication through USB interfaces, WiFi and Bluetooth, transfers of managing and multimedia data in real time, safety and differentiations of access rights.

Advantages to manufacturers of the original automobile equipment

The software platform of iviLink provides a set of advantages to manufacturers of the original automobile equipment, the leading suppliers and mobile device manufacturers. Competitive advantage of iviLink consists in completely controlled environment of applications launch allowing to limit imagination of third-party developers to requirements imposed by the producer to the built-in device, expanded multimedia functions and a possibility of automatic update in future systems IVI without complete replacement of the software of the device. Besides, iviLink provides a safe and easy way of timely software updating IVI without additional risks for all system.

iviLink represents the flexible platform for development, testings and implementing solutions which allows to expand multimedia opportunities of the car with a minimum of labor costs and the financial investments. Using iviLink, manufacturers of the original equipment in automotive industry will be able to integrate the applications with the popular applications which are already developed for mobile phones and also to build own ecosystem, involving third-party application developers, but not ceding it control over critical for reliability, security and ergonomics parts of a system.

According to Mr. Suvorov, "We consider iviLink as future fundamental standard for ensuring faultless integration of mobile devices into cars. To provide the margin of safety of the iviLink platform in the long term, we developed its compatibility with such new standards of the automobile information and entertaining systems as GENIVI".

Mezhplatformny compatibility

The iviLink platform adapted to standardization according to requirements of alliance GENIVI is compatible to the most popular operating systems for mobile and automobile multimedia devices (Android, iOS and Linux) and allows to use different data transfer protocols: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB and others. The fact-finding version of iviLink Technology Preview v.0.9 is artificially limited to the Linux system. In the third quarter 2012 support of IOS will be added. Starting with version 1.5, iviLink will support a subsystem of 'remote UI' on the basis of HTML5.

iviLink SDK 1.1.2

The iviLink platform gives an opportunity to manufacturers of the automobile equipment quickly, economically and with observance of all security requirements to develop the applications integrating together mobile devices and the information and entertaining systems of the car and providing exchange of content between devices in the car including content delivery from "cloud". The technology allows to provide support of new technology not only for developed, but even for already being in production and operation of automobile head modules.

The set of development of iviLink SDK of version 1.1.2 for mobile devices based on Android and Linux includes the source code, the short management and examples of applications. Basic elements of a set of development tools of version 1.1.2 include:

• iviLink core for devices based on Android of version 2.2 above. There is an opportunity to install iviLink not only on the automobile head device, but also on the smartphone or the tablet to test possibilities of their integration.
• Simple installation and setup. The connected program libraries and interfaces available in a set allow to integrate quickly the platform into the project and to begin to use it for development of new applications.
• Examples of applications. SDK include several demoversions of applications.

The iviLink platform is development open source and conforms to industrial standards of alliance GENIVI. It is compatible to the most popular operating systems for mobile and automobile multimedia devices (Android, iOS and Linux) and allows to use different data transfer protocols: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB and others. The set of development tools (SDK) of version 1.1.2 supports the Ubuntu system on head devices of the car and also Android OS in automobile and mobile devices. Support of IOS is available in the test mode. Since the next version, SDK will support the interfaces of remote control devices supporting HTML5.