Elektrobit Pioneers a New Era in the Automotive Industry: Launch of the World’s First Open Source Automotive Safety Operating System

Introduction

Amidst the backdrop of the “software-defined vehicle” era, the automotive industry has witnessed a revolutionary breakthrough. Elektrobit, a globally renowned provider of automotive embedded connectivity software products and services, has unveiled the world’s first open source operating system compliant with automotive functional safety standards—EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications—on the eve of the 2024 Beijing Auto Show. This innovative achievement not only fills the gap in the field of safety-certified open source software solutions but also points the way for the future development of the automotive industry.

Technological Innovation: The Perfect Combination of Open Source and Security

Elektrobit’s EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications addresses the long-standing concerns about the security of open source software in the automotive industry with its open source nature and functional safety. The system has passed a positive technical assessment for SEooC (Separate Entity for Safety) and complies with ISO 26262 ASIL B and IEC 61508 SIL 2 safety standards, ensuring the safety of applications in critical areas such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AVs).

Safety Standards: ISO 26262 and IEC 61508

ISO 26262 ASIL B and IEC 61508 SIL 2 are recognized safety standards in the automotive industry, ensuring the functionality and safety of automotive systems. The successful assessment of EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications signifies that its application in safety-critical areas has received authoritative certification.

Open Source Advantages: Flexibility and Cost-Effectiveness

Open source software, known for its flexibility, rapid development cycle, and lower development costs, has become the norm in other high-tech industries. Elektrobit’s system, through its open source approach, provides automotive manufacturers and suppliers with an efficient and secure software solution, while shortening the time to market and saving costs.

Long-Term Maintenance: Ensuring Safety Throughout the Product Lifecycle

Elektrobit commits to providing 15 years of maintenance services for EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications, ensuring the safety and stability of the product throughout its entire lifecycle.

Market Impact: Accelerating the Transition to Software-Defined Mobility

As the automotive industry transitions to software-defined vehicles, EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications provides automotive manufacturers with a powerful platform to support the growing demand for software and innovation. The launch of this system heralds a new era of rapid development in automotive software development.

Localization Strategy: Deep Cultivation in the Chinese Market

Elektrobit not only promotes its open source automotive operating system globally but also pays special attention to the development of the Chinese market. The company actively meets the needs of Chinese customers by cooperating with local chip manufacturers and expanding the local software and service agency network, accelerating the localization process of its products.


Conclusion
The launch of Elektrobit’s EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications is not only a technological leap but also a profound impact on the future development of the automotive industry. With the widespread application of this system, we have reason to believe that the automotive industry will usher in a new era that is smarter, safer, and more efficient.


Author Information
This article is written by BEN, focusing on the reporting of technological development and innovative trends in the automotive industry. For more details, please follow US.

被低估了的数字化方法论 | IBM车库方法

我在三年前的文章中就提到过IBM的数字化创新方法论“IBM车库方法”( Garage Methodology),三年过去了,在国内数字化转型领域里,这套方法论明显没有被广泛传播,我觉得它作为企业开展数字化创新,创造数字化产品的体系性、实操性的方法,在中国数字化转型界被严重低估了。

有些朋友没有理解为什么叫“车库”方法——美国人几乎家家户户都有车库,有人喜欢在车库里鼓捣各种修理工具,很多创新发明都是车库里搞出来的,例如惠普、苹果等硅谷公司都是在车库里创业的,所以“车库”就是技术创新的代名词。

就像ERP时代,SAP ERP实施产生了“ASAP方法论”,几乎确立了大型企业软件的实施方法论标准。IBM 车库方法论是一套从数字化驱动的组织文化总体转型,到基于云的数字化产品创造的端到端方法,其特点是:

  • 基于用户体验,是企业级的设计思维方法
  • 揭示了如何紧密衔接分布式或集中式的数字化产品团队
  • 利用DEVOPS工具/技术以及云平台进行持续交付
  • 赋能站点可靠性工程(SRE)
  • 快速迭代,交付业务价值
  • 提升数字化人才和组织文化
  • 企业级(而非小组级或产品级)的数字化创新

“数字化转型”这个名词提出这么多年来,我较少看见全球技术公司提出这样体系完整、同时又完全对用户开放的方法论体系——有些国际云大厂虽然也有类似方法论,但是体系性和用户开放性都还不够,有些技术咨询公司的数字化产品方法论显得过于技术。

国内的几家云大厂更是缺乏这样完整的方法论体系,也没有把自己的云服务以及DEVOPS工具和方法论体系进行包装。中国的数字化转型口号喊得响,各种大而化之、商业化的概念包装多,而在数字化实操的方法论总结上,对于创新流程、技术工具、组织变革以及工作方式上的关注都是不够的!不得不承认,在IT产业中,中国的信息技术应用的方法论建设和国外同行相比,还有很大差距!

数字化创新之核心是创造“数字化产品”,和传统开发信息系统相比,无论是产品开发组织的工作形式、开发过程、所使用的技术工具(关键技术包括:云计算、混合云、人工智能、容器、容器管理平台、DevOps工具等),还是企业开发数字化产品的组织变革(设计师、架构师、工程师、数据科学家、业务战略师、产品经理等多专业协作,multidisciplinary expertise)、组织文化(关键组织文化特质包括敏捷组织、创新文化等)都有显著不同。

IBM车库方法是设计思维、敏捷开发以及Devops技术的整合,它包含了数字化产品开发流程、相关最佳实践:

  • 发现(discover):挖掘商业机会,确定产品开发方向
  • 展示(envision):最小可用产品(MVP)设计
  • 开发(develop)技术开发的架构、代码、测试、部署
  • 智慧(reason):大数据和人工智能应用
  • 运营(operate):高可用的数字化产品运营
  • 学习(learn):用户体验反馈和产品持续改进
  • 文化(culture):敏捷文化和敏捷组织运行

这套方法还推荐了一系列IBM自有以及第三方的数字化工具来支持这些流程和实践。以上述“文化”为例,推荐了敏捷组织常用的数字化工具:代码管理Github、协作工具Slack、白板工具Mural、看板工具Trello、存储平台Box以及电话会平台Webex等:

虽然这套方法论是IBM发明的,但是可以作为普适的数字化创新方法。推荐的工具可以使用用户自己习惯使用的工具来替代,例如:

车库方法推荐工具替代工具示例
代码管理GithubGitlab
协作工具Slack飞书, Discord
白板工具MuralMiro
电话会Webex腾讯会议, Zoom
看板工具TrelloCanny
存储Box Dropbox

IBM 车库方法论是2016年左右跟IBM云业务(IBM Cloud)同步产生的,然而IBM的公有云业务落地中国却是命运多桀,这也许是这套方法论没能在中国得以普及的重要原因。让人觉得遗憾的是,这套方法论尽管在美国已经推出了好几年了,但是IBM中文官网上仍然没有方法论文档完整的中译版本,而且中文网站上对“车库创新”的中文解释和原意也有很大偏差。

由于这套方法论的通用性,我非常希望看到中国云厂商也能够包装出类似的方法论体系,来指导中国的数字化创新。

最后特别说明,本文非IBM车库方法论的官方解释,仅为作者个人研究心得;原文请访问网站:https://www.ibm.com/garage/method