Automotive Grade Linux Adds Industry Partners for Open Source Cars

Cars may still not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Linux and open source, but the Linux Foundation‘s Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) project continues to expand. This week, it announced three new members, bringing the total number of industry partners and academic collaborators to 46.

The new members include JVC KENWOOD Corporation, Linaro Limited and OpenSynergy. The first company on that list strengthens the AGL project’s ties to automotive electronics manufacturers, which is JVC KENWOOD’s specialty. Yoshio Sonoda, general manager at the company, said of the move, “Bringing open source to the automobile is a natural step that will help to revolutionize the industry in the same way Linux has spurred innovation in other industries.”

Meanwhile, Linaro, which joined the non-profit Linux Foundation consortium last summer, stands to help AGL developers take advantage of ARM-based hardware within cars. The company, which is also pushing ARM-based enterprise servers, focuses on building open source software for ARM hardware architectures.

OpenSynergy, for its part, brings expertise in embedded automotive systems to the AGL project. In particular, its COQOS platform will benefit developers working on Android or Linux-based in-vehicle applications.

The new additions to the AGL collaboration follow the project’s first software release in summer 2014. The initiative’s goal, according to the Linux Foundation, is ” to accelerate the development and adoption of a fully open software stack for the connected car. Leveraging the power and strength of Linux at its core, AGL is uniting automakers and technology companies to develop a common platform that offers OEMs complete control of the user experience so the industry can rapidly innovate where it counts.”