Continental presents development platform for in-car apps that connects digital lives to the intelligent car

• Continental Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), based in Silicon Valley, showcases an innovative open development platform for in-car apps.
• Car Port is an in-car dashboard interface, developed in collaboration with Vinli, that enables users to interact with IoE devices and seamless connection to their digital lives outside the car.
• Other in-vehicle smart home applications include a doorbell communication solution with rich audio and video content streaming, which integrates the home IoT experiences.

Frankfurt, September 15, 2015. Imagine a parcel courier rings your doorbell. As you are on the road, an image of the delivery person appears on your car’s screen. Now, you can directly communicate with him using the vehicle display. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Continental presents a holistic app framework that will make this experience a reality.

“In-car apps will soon connect drivers with their homes as well as with other personal devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wearables,” says Seval Oz, ‎CEO at Continental Intelligent Transportation Systems. “Continental ITS is excited to present its first in-vehicle developer app framework that will make the connected car a powerful extension of the driver’s smart home and connected lifestyle!,” exclaims Oz. The platform, showcased for the first time at the 2015 Frankfurt IAA, allows for the delivery of rich media content, clever home to connected car services, and social media services that deliver the in-vehicle app framework through Continental cloud based services.

For that reason Continental has developed in cooperation with in Dallas,Texas, based Vinli, the dedicated in car-dash interface  Car Port that enables drivers to interact using real time vehicle data with IoE (Internet of Everything) devices and other drivers creating a seamless connection to digital life outside the car. “We are manufacturing innovation right in the car,” concludes Seval Oz. “What we are doing is creating the standard for an in-vehicle application platform, and any interested parties such as car manufacturers, application developers, and smart home suppliers are very welcome to join us on our route to bringing all aspects of drivers’ lives to their cars.”

More predictive CleverHome applications by ITS are coming along to transform the vehicle into a smart personal device or another room in the house. These applications include controlling smart home features such as room temperature based on the car’s navigation information and driver’s daily driving habits. When the car “knows” that it is heading home, it could instruct the heating or cooling system as well as other smart home sensors to trigger the desired room temperature or settings automatically.