Mercedes upgrades developer platform ahead of MB.OS release

Car-maker Mercedes is upgrading its development platform ahead of the release of its highly anticipated operating system MB.OS next year, which will feature in all of its cars and displays.

In partnership with Helsinki-based software provider Qt, the car manufacturer is using the firm’s Qt6 to transform the performance, ease of development, and maintainability of in-vehicle applications running on MB.OS.

In a press statement, Qt claimed that its framework and tools give automakers the ability to take ownership of their onboard software in-house.

“Upgrading to Qt 6 means the team has the perfect tools to support the development of software-defined vehicles,” said Steffan Schumacher, senior vice president, business operations at Qt.

“Qt is the perfect match for building digital user interfaces, especially with a commitment to creating new infotainment experiences that allow for flexible upgrades,” he added.

Mercedes hopes that its Mercedes Benz Operating System will intelligently connect the vehicle with the cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT) world.

The car maker is recruiting approximately 1,000 software developers at its Sindelfingen site, which has become its central development and training hub for software expertise.

A further 2,000 jobs are also being created in the manufacturer’s global R&D network in tech hubs such as Berlin, Tel Aviv, Seattle, Sunnyvale, Beijing, Tokyo and Bangalore.

Following disrupters to the car market such as Tesla, the automotive industry has realised that its biggest challenge is software, with a handful looking to take the same road as Mercedes and develop their own OS.

Early last year Japanese automaker Toyota announced that it was planning to release its own OS, Arene, capable of handling advanced operating systems such as autonomous driving, in its vehicles by 2025.

Volkswagen is also currently working on its ‘VW.OS’ software while Cariad, its software company, is looking at Qualcomm Technologies to supply system-on-chips (SoCs) for VW’s platform, designed to enable assisted and automated driving functions up to Level 4.

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