Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Systems has partnered Israeli AI automotive software company Aurora Labs to help car makers provide over-the-air (OTA) updates for software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

Aurora Labs’ differential software update capabilities alongside T-Systems’ end-to-end OTA platform will be offered to the automotive industry. This should support car manufacturers in optimising time-to-market and the total cost of ownership, and enhance the overall driving experience through continuous software updates and improvements.

T-Systems and Aurora Labs will combine their expertise in connected car services cloud infrastructure and specialised OTA update technology. The two companies aim to offer flexible, secure and cost-effective options for automotive manufacturers and fleets. These clients will be able to update seamlessly any device in the vehicle, anywhere, and at any time of the day, even when the vehicle is in use.

Aurora Labs’ patented Loci line-of-code intelligence and OTA software update technology offer features such as up to 97 per cent smaller update files, which reduces data usage, and additive updates that ensure vehicle uptime with a roll-back mechanism preventing vehicle software failure, in accordance with UNECE R156 regulations.

T-Systems brings experience in providing connected car services, back-end infrastructure and data management for more than 30 million vehicles through its end-to-end OTA platform. This boosts scalability to manage vast fleets and modularity that seamlessly integrates with any OEM’s existing infrastructure, all while achieving an update success rate of up to 99.99 per cent.

The combination should address problems faced by the automotive industry, such as complexity of digital eco-systems, data volume, update time and cyber security. This collaboration aims to help automotive manufacturers and fleets manage and update their vehicles’ software seamlessly, improving performance and user experience and reducing cyber-security vulnerabilities.

“Combining our capabilities allows us to deliver differential software updates, meaning we deliver and deploy only the part of the code that is really affected by the change,” said Christian Hort, senior vice president at T-Systems. “This is leading to much smaller software packages and less data traffic. By combining Aurora Labs Loci features with our end-to-end OTA platform, we are able to blend highly specific innovations with the reliability of our OTA platform and the expertise of our teams in managing large OEM fleets.”

Zohar Fox, CEO of Aurora Labs, added: “T-Systems’ global presence and extensive experience in providing and delivering connected cars make them an ideal partner for Aurora Labs. We are excited to bring our unique features to T-Systems’ OTA platform, ultimately enhancing the safety and user experience of connected vehicles.”

In the evolving landscape of electric vehicles (EV) and SDVs, it is becoming increasingly crucial to ensure that every electronic control unit (ECU), including microprocessors and microcontrollers, can be updated securely and seamlessly. This process should aim to reduce disruptions and protect against emerging cyber-security threats, thereby enhancing the overall user experience for vehicle owners and drivers. To foster wider acceptance and use of new software features, it is essential to mitigate potential risks, including those related to cyber security, and cultivate trust among fleet owners and vehicle users.

T-Systems (www.t-systems.com) and Aurora Labs will demonstrate the OTA update at next week’s Automobil-Elektronik Kongress (www.automobil-elektronik-kongress.de) in Ludwigsburg, Germany on the 18th and 19th of June.

Aurora Labs (www.auroralabs.com) is pioneering the use of AI and software intelligence to solve the problems of software development. Founded in 2016, the company has raised $97m and has been granted 100 patents. It is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with offices in Germany, North Macedonia, USA and Japan.