DETROIT, Dec. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As holiday fever takes hold this week in offices across the country, automotive and consumer technology teams in Detroit and Silicon Valley remain hard at work preparing to kick-off the New Year with new technology at two of the nation's biggest showcases of automotive connectivity – CES 2016, January 6 –9 in Las Vegas, and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, January 11 – 24.
As the two sides battle for ownership of dashboard apps, P3 group, a leading global consulting and engineering firm, is working behind the scenes to bridge the gap between industries with dramatically different mindsets and create a win-win platform of innovation.
Dr. Samit Ghosh, president and CEO of P3 North America, has worked with U.S. automakers on connected vehicle technology since 2005. Today he shared his thoughts on the future of driving and what to expect at the upcoming shows.
"Autonomous driving, information and entertainment systems will continue to take center stage in 2016 as automakers focus on chips, sensors and smartphone applications as key consumer differentiators," Ghosh said. "In-car entertainment and safety capabilities provided through telematics and infotainment technologies are rapidly becoming the reasons consumers buy vehicles, so the stakes have never been higher."
Underscoring the growing intersection of consumer technology and the car, Ghosh pointed to CES reports that its automotive exhibit space will grow 25 percent at the 2016 show with nine auto makers and 115 automotive tech companies debuting products.
"Complex technologies require efficient processes," Ghosh said. "The connected car ecosystem is complicated and faces many challenges, but automakers are beginning to think differently about the way they incorporate technology into cars. They need to start by rethinking their organizations and processes, breaking down organizational silos, and taking an end-to-end view of all the touch points that spell success in the rapidly changing IoT ecosystem.
"Hot topics at this year's auto shows will be the security of connected vehicle systems and the safety implications of evolving driver interfaces. Automakers also face the tough decision to remain proprietary or join the Open-source software movement, as smartphones become universal devices for controlling every consumer's world. From personalized in-car entertainment to smart home integration, the car is becoming a critical link in our interconnected world," he said.
According to Ghosh, in the software-focused world, carmakers can achieve far greater economies of scale by sharing technology with all other automakers. He cited GENIVI®, a non-profit alliance committed to driving the broad adoption of specified, open source In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) software as one force working to shorten development cycles and reduce OEM costs.
"As an independent systems integrator, P3 efficiently connects and unites large industry players to quickly and successfully innovate," he said. "The way we manage projects and optimize our clients processes is extremely unique. Our international experience in both the automotive and the telecommunications industries gives us the exact perspective needed to help these converging industries accelerate the development of connected car technology."
P3 North America will demonstrate its extensive infotainment solutions knowledge and systems integration abilities at CES 2016 when it joins with a major automaker and chipmaker to showcase the results of a six-month collaboration to create a prototype infotainment and telematics system in an entry-level mid-range vehicle.
For more information, please visit the P3 Group website.
About P3 Group
A leading global consulting and engineering firm, P3 supports companies across the automotive, telecommunications and aerospace industries to bring their products from the innovation stage to full implementation. Our unique differentiation lies in our strategic consulting expertise combined with deep technical and engineering skills to offer management solutions to challenges in product development and manufacturing. Our strength is in our people and the innovative entrepreneurial spirit we bring to our customers. P3's team includes over 3000 consultants and engineers spread across 36 offices in 14 countries. In the United States, P3 has offices in Detroit, Mich., Newport Beach and San Francisco, Calif., Morristown, N.J., Portland, Ore., Greenville, S.C., and Dallas, Texas. For more information please visit www.p3-group.com.
SOURCE P3 Group