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I suspect it is cheaper these days to get Android devs than Qt/C++/Embedded Linux devs and can't help wonder if this is their big cost cutting decision. I wond

I suspect it is cheaper these days to get Android devs than Qt/C++/Embedded Linux devs and can't help wonder if this is their big cost cutting decision. I wonder what this means for their Qt/QML teams and a lot of their middleware from Genivi: https://www.genivi.org/ https://www.genivi.org/ (Interestingly, the website seems to be down for me).

miohtama 4y ago
Also BMW is indirectly admitting that their in-house software development sucks, they underinvested in it for many yeears and now they need to buy the core from Google to stay competitive. If it is only about Java development then they could write their own platform in Java.
- mrkramer 4y ago
  I think they are afraid that Google's software will become an industry standard and that they will be left out. They are in the position where they need to make a bet and that bet will determine how the next decade of business will look like for them.
  - miohtama 4y ago
    If the best product wins then Google’s is likely to become industry standard. Android Auto is not panacea, but no European or Asian company has shown any talent to build high quality software in scale. Only US/Silicon Valley companies can do this. And this is not just about cars - it’s also the same for mobile phones, etc.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - scarface74 4y ago
      Just to be clear. The article is about “Android Automotive” a self contained OS built into the car. Android Auto is basically a display that requires an Android phone to operate.
    - rejectfinite 4y ago
      >no European or Asian company has shown any talent to build high quality software in scale. In Scandinavia alone: Symbian? Spotify? Skype? Video games?
      - MrBuddyCasino 4y ago
        Calling Spotify high-quality software is daring.
      - Grazester 4y ago
        Symbian?
        miohtama 4y ago
        I worked with Symbian and it’s now dead. It lost the mobile OS race for a reason.
- greenthrow 4y ago
  As far as I can tell Android Automotive is open source and free to use. So no, they aren't licensing the core from Google. BMW hasn't released enough information to understand why they are doing this, but iDrive 8 (the latest version of their in-house Linux based software) is widely regarded as one of the best car software systems. Which granted, is a low bar, but it's still pretty solid.

miohtama 4y ago

Also BMW is indirectly admitting that their in-house software development sucks, they underinvested in it for many yeears and now they need to buy the core from Google to stay competitive. If it is only about Java development then they could write their own platform in Java.

mrkramer 4y ago
I think they are afraid that Google's software will become an industry standard and that they will be left out. They are in the position where they need to make a bet and that bet will determine how the next decade of business will look like for them.
- miohtama 4y ago
  If the best product wins then Google’s is likely to become industry standard. Android Auto is not panacea, but no European or Asian company has shown any talent to build high quality software in scale. Only US/Silicon Valley companies can do this. And this is not just about cars - it’s also the same for mobile phones, etc.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - scarface74 4y ago
    Just to be clear. The article is about “Android Automotive” a self contained OS built into the car. Android Auto is basically a display that requires an Android phone to operate.
  - rejectfinite 4y ago
    >no European or Asian company has shown any talent to build high quality software in scale. In Scandinavia alone: Symbian? Spotify? Skype? Video games?
    - MrBuddyCasino 4y ago
      Calling Spotify high-quality software is daring.
    - Grazester 4y ago
      Symbian?
      - miohtama 4y ago
        I worked with Symbian and it’s now dead. It lost the mobile OS race for a reason.
greenthrow 4y ago
As far as I can tell Android Automotive is open source and free to use. So no, they aren't licensing the core from Google. BMW hasn't released enough information to understand why they are doing this, but iDrive 8 (the latest version of their in-house Linux based software) is widely regarded as one of the best car software systems. Which granted, is a low bar, but it's still pretty solid.