TOKYO, Mar 30,
2017 – (JCN Newswire) – Fujitsu and VMware (NYSE: VMW) today announced an
expanded strategic collaboration to bring innovative IoT solutions to customers
in the automobile industry. Extending Fujitsu and VMware’s longstanding
collaboration, the Fujitsu OTA Reprograming Solution will be combined with
VMware IoT solutions, enabling automobile manufacturers and partners to drive
robust solutions in the future with connected cars and autonomous driving.



The automobile industry is rapidly moving toward
incorporating more advanced technologies for connected cars, including
automated driving. Several automobile manufacturers are investing in these
technologies for connected cars, which will use new cloud services in the
future. 



As the number of electronic control units (ECUs) that manage
automotive parts increases in cars, the software that is embedded into the ECUs
has become more sophisticated, and in turn, is becoming more challenging to
manage. Automobile recalls due to software issues can pose challenges for
automobile manufacturers. With more technologies being integrated into
vehicles, it is imperative for automobile manufacturers to have the ability to
quickly and easily reprogram software as required, while also being able to
manage and monitor software versions individually.



To help global automobile manufacturers and their tier 1
components manufacturers, Fujitsu will team with VMware to provide a one-stop
service to meet automobile manufacturers’ reliability requirements by
integrating VMware IoT solutions into Fujitsu’s OTA Reprograming Solution.



Fujitsu and VMware will provide multiple technologies as part
of the one-stop cloud service for connected cars, including:



Fujitsu 



– The software of ECUs in further advanced functions come
from the popularization of connected cars. Fujitsu will provide its OTA
Reprograming Solution, connecting with the cloud environment, and apply the
delta update technology of software to efficiently manage and update essential
software for connected cars.

– Fujitsu will provide security technologies mounted through
the business of Fujitsu feature phones, smartphones, etc. from automobile
development sites to the assembly factories and throughout the automobile’s
lifecycle.



VMware



– VMware IoT solutions, with Fujitsu’s OTA Reprogramming
Solution will enable automobile manufacturers to quickly provide OTA software
updates as necessary to all the devices in a car. 

– VMware IoT solutions can expand rapidly, providing agility
for the global deployment of services and advanced security technologies for
connected cars.



Starting with developments for the automotive industry,
Fujitsu and VMware will also collaborate to expand their combined offerings of
differentiated services in the mobility space. 


Figure: OTA Reprogramming Solution at a glance



Quotes



“Fujitsu has partnered with VMware since 2006, and we
are pleased to say that our partnership with VMware now extends to the IoT
industry as well. For our OTA Reprograming Solution, as we are seeing
increasing demands from automobile manufacturers and their tier 1 components
manufacturers as a global standard, we will provide an OTA platform for
connected cars by integrating VMware IoT solutions into our secure and
effective OTA Reprograming Solution. We look forward to fostering these
offerings in our mobile business,” said Shikou Kikuta, SVP, Head of
Mobility IoT Business Unit, Fujitsu Limited.



“The connected car industry continues to proliferate,
and innovative and sophisticated technologies play a key role in the way
automobile manufacturers can create a unique and enjoyable experience for
drivers,” said Mimi Spier, ‎vice president, Internet of Things, VMware.
“We see our collaboration with Fujitsu as a significant benefit for
automobile manufacturers, as we empower them to easily and quickly deploy
software updates in a secure and seamless manner to their connected cars.”