As technology has evolved, the automotive sector has benefited greatly. Today’s cars are highly advanced machines that are safer, smarter, and more efficient than ever before. From CPUs to sensors, automobiles have become more of a digital driving experience than a mere mobile machine.
Many automobile manufacturing companies are increasingly exploring options for software development outsourcing through top custom software development companies. Manufacturers can enhance productivity and save costs by working with a dedicated team of outsourced software development professionals. This post aims to enlist the benefits of outsourcing software development for automobile manufacturers.
Software Used in the Automotive Industry
The vehicles of yesteryear were purely mechanical machines, and the integration of computers and software has transformed them completely. Software and hardware support enhance drivers’ experience with incredible navigation and safety features. There are countless benefits of automotive software, and it makes life easier for all types of drivers, from novices to experts. Here are some major types of software used in the automobiles that most car manufacturers outsource:
Vehicle Safety System
Vehicle safety software is mostly intended to improve the overall safety of both vehicle and driver. The car contains safety systems that combine to minimize the risk of collisions and also allow the driver to maintain maximum control of the vehicle. The vehicle safety system works closely with sensors placed at various points in the vehicle, including the passenger seats. Automatic lighting, automated braking, revealing blindspots, and assisted reverse are some of the adaptive features provided by safety software. Some functions are inbuilt, while others are available as a SaaS add-on.
Vehicle Navigation System
Navigation software is extremely popular and considered a must-have in automobiles. If you’re having trouble finding a location while traveling, don’t worry; this navigation software will assist you in quickly locating your destination. Automobiles are loaded with a navigation system, and you can also update the maps regularly. A satellite navigation device aids in determining your vehicle’s present location. The navigation system determines the shortest route you can take from one place to another. You can also pin or save the most frequently traveled areas. The navigation system also supports microphones so that a driver can choose destinations through voice commands. The software assists you with audible directions, so you don’t have to look at the screen each time there is a turn or change in path. It examines how to identify a route that fits certain criteria, such as the shortest route or fastest track from one location to another.
Diagnostic System
Modern automobiles are equipped with an onboard diagnostics (OBD) port that allows access to data from the engine control unit (ECU). The engine control unit maintains information about all the essential elements of the car’s engine and attached components. An external device is plugged into the ECU through an OBD port, and information is retrieved. If there is a problem with any part associated with the vehicle’s mechanics, the ECU sends an error message which is then printed by the external device. This printed message contains all the information required to diagnose problems. You can also buy diagnostic software that allows you to connect your laptop to the OBD.
Autopilot System
Automobile manufacturers are attempting to develop vehicles that are either fully or partially self-driven. The autopilot software is currently being developed for commercial use. Once fully mature and deployed, this software will allow the driver to sit back and relax while the software handles the driving. The software will assess all alternative routes and determine the best one for you. It will control speed and indicators at roundabouts and intersections. This automobile software solution will make long-distance and short-distance driving more efficient.
Why do Manufacturers Need to Outsource Development of Automotive Software
The continuous evolution in automotive software necessitates manufacturers to stay up-to-date with modern trends, machine learning mechanisms, and vehicle complexity. No matter how advanced your hardware is, we cannot achieve maximum utility if it’s not properly managed and maintained by software. Here are some reasons why automotive companies need to outsource software development:
Improved Manufacturing Productivity
While the software part is being outsourced, manufacturers can focus more on the manufacturing process. This way, manufacturers can visibly increase the productivity of their staff.
Minimize Development Costs
Automotive software requires using complex and innovative technologies that keep evolving. In-house automotive software development requires expertise, extensive employee, and specialized machines and instruments. All these factors increase the cost of manufacturing vehicles.
Outsourcing software development drastically reduces its overall cost. Instead of spending heavy amounts on staff recruitment, training, and software development, vehicle manufacturers can easily pay for the rendered services from an outside source.
Gain Access to Innovative Technology
Top custom software companies continuously strive to gain a competitive advantage through constant innovation. To stay at the top, IT companies keep researching newer ways to develop intelligent systems that deliver value to their customers. This gives a huge technological advantage to vehicle manufacturers as IT companies are doing their part of the research and competing within the industry to provide state-of-the-art automotive software features. This way, a manufacturer can instantly gain access to innovative technologies.
Final Thoughts
The complexity of an automobile has drastically increased its cost of manufacturing. The constantly changing technology trends necessitate outsourcing essential software elements through the best custom software development companies to cope with the cost of digitalization. Software developers and automakers must collaborate to create functional hardware and software systems to maximize efficiency.
Automobile companies or manufacturers looking for outsourcing can search for the top custom software development or big data analytics companies through Xpeer. Xpeer assists businesses worldwide by enlisting top IT recruitment companies, B2B ratings and reviews, web design and development companies, and the best custom software companies. With Xpeer, finding the right software development outsourcing company has become much easier. Visit their website to search for IT companies to outsource software development.
About the Author
The author of this post, Darrell Lehmann, is a software engineer having more than 15 years of experience in software analysis and design, software quality assurance and data analytics. He has successfully designed and implemented automotive software for many automobile manufacturing companies. Lehmann is currently associated with Xpeer as IT Project Manager.