May/June 2005

DaimlerChrysler's FleetBoard telematics solutions business has received an indirect accolade from influential consultancy Frost & Sullivan for its support for open standards.

Frost has given a 2005 Automotive Technology of the Year Award to its supplier IBM Global Telematics Solutions for the company's work in designing and introducing an open standards-based OSGi software platform for the commercial vehicle telematics sector.

According to Frost & Sullivan research analyst Praveen Chandrasekar: "The OSGi platform provides the telematics industry with the ability to leverage cost for both suppliers and end users by creating open standards across different hardware platforms."

He adds: "It also allows the industry to focus on software development and therefore concentrate on maximising the benefits of existing hardware."

 

OSGi stands for Open Services Gateway Initiative, although the OSGi organisation behind it goes out of its way to avoid using the full term now, preferring to be identified with wider moves to promote efficiency through interoperability and standardisation.

Whilst the recognition given to IBM's work is likely to be welcomed by commercial vehicle operators, standards are still a long way from being uniform in the telematics world, and smaller suppliers who do not conform to the OSGi specification may be concerned at the danger of being marginalised if they fail to fall in line.