Francis Chow, Red Hat, presented the benefits of open source software and open collaboration as a proven and sustainable approach to drive innovation and manage complexity in the automotive sector. (Bild: Redaktion all-electronics.de)
At the 28th Automotive Electronics Congress, Francis Chow, Vice President and General Manager for In-Vehicle Operating System and Edge at Red Hat, spoke on the topic of "Open Source as the Key to Innovation in the Automotive Industry". Chow emphasised that open source is not only a technical necessity, but also an economic advantage for the automotive industry. He emphasised how open source can help overcome the challenges of the industry and drive innovation at the same time. Here are the key points of his presentation.
What are the main benefits of open source in the automotive industry?
"Open source helps us to become even better at what we are already good at," says Francis Chow. By utilising and further developing existing open source components, companies can develop innovative solutions faster and more cost-effectively. Chow emphasises that there is still a lack of trust in the viability and sustainability of open source. He urges participants to get personally involved and explore the possibilities of open source to dispel these doubts. More than 300 million contributions were made to open source projects last year, which shows how widespread and accepted this technology already is. According to Chow, 95% of organisations use open source for business-critical IT workloads, underlining its relevance and reliability.
Keynote from Francis Chow, Red Hat, at the 28th Automobil-Elektronik Kongress im Video
How has open source proved its worth in other industries?
Chow draws parallels with the telecommunications industry, which also faced major challenges 15 years ago. Back then, customised hardware and software solutions were used, but these were replaced by commercial off-the-shelf hardware and virtualisation technologies. Today, 2.5 billion mobile subscribers use open source platforms, demonstrating the transformative power of this technology. Open source has proven its worth in various sectors, from healthcare and retail to financial services and telecoms. This shows that open source is not only successful in IT, but also in other areas. Chow highlights that open source promotes the standardisation of APIs and layers, global talent sources and enables continuous innovation.
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Challenges in the implementation of open source in the automotive industry
A key issue is the support of safety-critical systems. Chow explains that Red Hat and IBM are working together to open up their Granite Language Model in order to promote collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence and large language models. The focus is on security and reliability. The automotive industry must be prepared to enable continuous software updates and improvements throughout the lifecycle of a vehicle. "Software should never be seen as finished," emphasises Chow. He calls for a rethink in software development. The industry needs to focus on standardising APIs and leveraging global talent to ensure long-term success.
About 10 years ago, the industry started to adopt open source with OpenStack.
How can the automotive industry benefit from open source?
A study by the Boston Consulting Group shows that open source can reduce development costs by up to 30%. This enables companies to utilise their resources more efficiently and react more quickly to market changes. Chow emphasises that everything below the application level and above the hardware level can and should be open source. This would create a standardised basis on which companies can build and focus on their core competencies. Chow emphasises that open source promotes the standardisation of APIs and layers as well as global talent sources and enables continuous innovation. By utilising and evolving existing open source components, companies can develop innovative solutions faster and more cost-effectively. The automotive industry must be prepared to enable continuous software updates and improvements throughout the lifecycle of a vehicle.
Last year, more than 300 million contributions were made to open source projects by more than 100 million developers.
Closing words
Francis Chow has impressively demonstrated at the 28th Automotive Electronics Congress how open source can change the automotive industry. With clear examples and a vision for the future, he called on the industry to take the path of open collaboration and work together towards an innovative and sustainable future. Open source is not just a technological solution, but a foundation for a new era in the automotive industry.
The most important questions and answers from Francis Chow's presentation
Is open source really secure?
Yes, open source offers robust security mechanisms and has proven itself in many critical industries.
How does open source help to reduce costs?
By using shared resources and avoiding licence fees, development costs can be significantly reduced.
What are the challenges of implementing open source?
One of the biggest challenges is security certification, but this is being worked on intensively.
How does open source promote innovation?
Open source enables continuous updates and improvements, which is particularly important for software-defined vehicles.
How can companies benefit from open source?
Companies can act more flexibly and innovatively by utilising shared resources and standards.
About Francis Chow
Francis Chow is Vice President and General Manager of In-Vehicle Operating System and Edge at Red Hat. Since joining Red Hat in mid-2021, he has led the In-Vehicle Operating System organisation and expanded his role to include the entire Edge business. Previously, he spent five years at VMware, holding the position of Vice President of Operations, Business Development and Strategy for the Telco and Edge Cloud organisation. Prior to VMware, Francis spent approximately 20 years in the semiconductor industry, holding leadership positions in engineering, corporate development, marketing and sales. He was VP/GM of a $1 billion business unit before moving into the software industry. Francis holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He holds seven US patents.