
Consumers are demanding increasingly sophisticated technology “on the road”. Automakers too have identified opportunities to transform driving experiences and design new covetable products to meet and shape customer demand.
Connected solutions in particular are proving to be game-changers – mobility products and services that interact with the outside world to optimize operation and maintenance as well as convenience and comfort.
Consumers benefit from connectivity, adaptability, sustainability and information technology functionality. They need open cars.1

The extent to which vehicles operate open or closed systems has multiple ramifications for data protection, as well as the longevity of the car and desirability of the brand.
Mobility-as-a-Service clearly demands a move towards open cars but this creates practical complexities for automakers as they build new offerings.
To qualify as an open car, an automotive product must be available for technology upgrades, after-market products and security researchers. Whilst it does not need to run on open source data or software, it must have open interfaces and openly disclosed software and hardware.

Cars are now “networks on wheels” – becoming safer, more automated, connected and personalized. A driver’s preferred route can be logged and saved, the car can park itself, restaurant adverts can be served up at just the right time and driving behaviours logged.
Next generation cars and mobility solutions at large are underpinned by data. Autonomous vehicles cannot operate without real-time access to road safety and accident data. Connected cars will not function unless they are set up to continuously gather, share and communicate user information and preferences. Travellers need shared systems and technology to move seamlessly around cities.
Therefore, to make mobility operational longterm, it is essential to ensure access to reliable data.
1 Lothar Determann and Bruce Perens, Open Cars, 32 Berkeley Tech. L. J. 915 (2017).