Panasonic Display-Audio system with MirrorLink(TM) for Toyota. (Photo : Reuters)
According to the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC)'s official press release, published on Sunday, the MirrorLink telematics platform has experienced strong growth over the last year, and the appointment of Regional Vice President of China/APAC Dennis Fu is a key sign of the consortium's expansion into China.
Fu's primary responsibility will be to facilitate new MirrorLink "partnerships and deployments."
A review of the previous year's media on the development of "connected cars"--vehicles with electronic interfaces that allow drivers to use their handset apps on a built-in screen, while also connected to the Internet--has been frantic. The issue became significant for Europe due to the European Commission's plan to implement a Union-wide eCall service by the end of 2015.
According to Business Insider, the playing field as of August consisted of a prediction by mobile operator trade body, GSMA, that 20 percent of vehicles sold globally in 2015 will feature embedded connectivity, while another body predicts that global revenues for the industry will reach $20 billion three years later.
Initially, Apple Inc.'s CarPlay and Google's Android Auto were established as the dominant players in the field. However, as one would expect, the competition is fierce, with a December article, published after the Los Angeles Auto Show, stating that Apple's refusal to support the popular WeChat app is an indication of a changing market, in which automobile makers will become subservient to the demands of technology companies.
In terms of the changing power dynamic, the CCC's Jorg Brakensiek said to Automotive News that the car manufacturers are "are going from full control to more or less no control, and that might create some tensions."
Brakensiek works on MirrorLink, which has entered the market as a rival platform to those of Apple and Google, on behalf of the Microsoft Corporation. Other technology brands involved with the CCC's development of MirrorLink include Nokia, Samsung and BlackBerry.
Sunday's announcement occurs during a period in which interesting developments are taking place in the Chinese car industry, particularly Volvo's plan to manufacture one of its models in China for sale in the U.S. market.
Fu said: "China's bustling CE, mobile app and automotive markets are ready and willing to adopt next-generation technologies that will give them a distinct advantage over their competitors."
