Putting Digital Signage in Motion

Posted on February 29, 2016April 8, 2022 by Mark Scantlebury

There’s nothing like mass transit trains and buses for providing a captive audience for advertising. In fact, many transit systems depend on advertising revenues to supplement their tight budgets and help hold down fare prices. But do transit companies need a dedicated media player on a train or bus to deliver advertising? Or is it possible to give them more for their money by offering multi-function telematics solutions that can perform other important tasks?

Digital signage manufacturers and system integrators looking to offer such a versatile product would need a unit that can deliver powerful compute and graphics capabilities while operating within the power constraints of a bus or train. In addition, this unit would need to meet all the environmental challenges of life on wheels and rails – from temperature extremes to vibration.

Portwell recently introduced such a rugged, multi-function solution for handling mobile digital signage and more (Figure 1). Their PCS-8311P telematics system is a tough embedded computer offering four Power over Ethernet (PoE) M12 ports. These ports enable the system to perform as a digital signage media player and a network video recorder (NVR) by providing data transfer capabilities and power to smart displays and onboard surveillance cameras over a connection that can withstand serious shock and vibration. The ports can also solidly connect and power other LAN peripherals, such as door sensors or ticket printers.

Figure 1. The Portwell PCS-8311P telematics system makes a versatile onboard media player that can handle NVR duties and a variety of other transit tasks.

Overall, the PCS-8311P is a textbook example of versatility. It is designed for use in commercial and municipal vehicles in applications such as in-vehicle infotainment, digital signage, mobile communications, navigation, onboard surveillance, and fleet management.

Let’s take a look how its design, extensive I/O, powerful but low-power-consumption processor, and other features make it so well-suited to on-the-road digital signage applications and more.

Rugged Design

The PCS-8311P meets MIL-STD-810F standards for vibration, shock and crash hazards, as well as EN50121 standards and EN50155 certification for railway applications (Figure 2). The unit’s tough aluminum-alloy enclosure includes cooling fins and wall- and VESA-mounting options, enabling the system to operate in harsh environments. The unit supports a wide operating temperature range (-40^°~70^°C), allowing use in almost any climate – cold, tropical, and desert. Its M12 ports enable unshakeable connections. And dual hot-swappable SATA storage with options for SSDs and RAID 1 (as well as RAID 0) provides redundancy and fast drive replacement to keep vehicles in service.

Figure 2. The Portwell PCS-8311P meets MIL-STD-810F standards for vibration, shock and crash hazards, as well as EN50121 standards and EN50155 certification for railway applications.

Built for Vehicle Power and Communications Limitations

Buses and trains generally operate on 24/28-volt systems, and their electronic components face input voltage power variances during operation. In addition, embedded computers for transit need to incorporate ignition-sensing power control systems to ensure their digital signage and other applications operate only when the vehicle is running. This prevents battery drainage when vehicles are garaged. Equally important, transit embedded systems must perform sequenced shutdowns so that when a bus or train is shut off, the signage solution’s operating system does not crash and introduce errors in the software.

The PCS-8311P is designed to run on a wide range of DC power – from 9V to 36V. Its intelligent power ignition control provides power management for smart startups and shutdowns. It even includes short-circuit protection through an auto-recovery function. The four IEEE802.3af PoE interfaces deliver up to 15.4W per port – enough to power surveillance cameras, smart displays, and even self-contained (all-in-one) digital signage systems.

As for communications, the PCS-8311P offers an excellent array of choices for connecting on the move. The unit supports up to three wireless modules, including LTE, 3.5G (with SIM card), and WLAN (Wi-Fi). It also offers GSM/GPRS and Bluetooth*, plus GPS Dead Reckoning. Savvy developers can use the GPS Dead Reckoning to offer timely location-based advertising and information. For instance, when the bus or train is approaching a stop with a restaurant, pre-arranged advertising for that restaurant could display a special for transit riders.

Wide Range of Essential I/O

Rich COM I/O interfaces, including support for optional CAN 2.0B, help transit companies maximize their investment in legacy devices and equipment. The unit includes three RS-232 (two with RS-485 and Auto Direction Control), two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, four in and four out DIO ports, one line-out audio, one microphone port, and one SIM card socket (Figure 2 and Figure 3). Of course, there are also the aforementioned M12 Ports for GbE PoE, as well as three display connections (DVI-I, DisplayPort, and VGA).

Figure 3. The Portwell PCS-8311P provides a rich selection of I/O on both sides of the unit.

A Processor Designed for Efficient Compute and Graphics Performance

With a thermal design power (TDP) rating of 15 W, the 5^th generation Intel^® Core^™ i7-5650U processor brings all the performance you expect of an Intel^® Core^™ i7 processor to applications requiring low power consumption and stunning images and video. Now you can put on wheels and rails the same Ultra HD 4K graphics as advanced indoor systems.

The 5^th generation Intel Core i7-5650U processor profits from Intel’s 14nm technology, 2^nd generation 3D tri-gate transistors, and latest architectural enhancements. The processor combines a powerful dual-core CPU with a platform controller hub (PCH) to create a single multi-chip solution. The result is a PC-class processor for space- and power-constrained embedded applications that delivers solid compute performance, HD graphics, and high quality sound.

The integrated Intel^® HD Graphics 6000 engine uses an improved architecture and an additional VDBOX unit (multi-format video codec). For digital signage applications, this combination delivers smoother visual quality, extremely fast media-transcode performance, and outstanding HD media playback. Intel^® Clear Video HD technology and Intel^® Quick Sync Video 2 add visual quality and color fidelity enhancements that enable eye-catching video quality. Codec support includes VP8 and HEVC/H.265. The processor supports the latest APIs as well – DirectX 11.2 and OpenGL 4.3.

For cases where the PCS-8311P is used both as a digital signage media player and an NVR, the 5^th generation Intel^® Core^™ processors deliver faster video conversion compared to the previous generation. Video conversion to compressed formats can make a big difference in how many hours of video can be saved onboard the unit’s two drives.

Make a Compelling Case for Your Digital Signage Solution

The Portwell PCS-8311P is an excellent platform to build on for offering a transit digital signage system that can do double duty and even triple duty as an NVR and a mobile communications, management and navigation system. In addition, manufacturers can visit the Solutions Directory to find other rugged digital signage systems.

Integrating Imaging and EHR Data in the Surgical Suite

Posted on January 1, 2016May 13, 2022 by John Chuang

Hospitals strive to equip surgical suites with the latest advancements in technology to improve patient outcomes. But a critical disconnect in many hospitals hinders surgeons from accessing all patient data on a single system at the point of treatment. Though surgeons can access electronic health records (EHRs) on office systems, in the surgical suite they have only picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). This dichotomy creates a knowledge gap; surgeons don’t have complete clinical information when and where they might need it.

This article explores an all-in-one surgical workstation that enables real-time clinical decisions and insight by giving surgeons simultaneous access to high-precision medical images and EHRs (Figure 1). We consider how medical device manufacturers can use this workstation to expand their product line and provide hospitals with the latest technological advancements in PACS and EHRs. We examine how this workstation’s use of 6th generation Intel^® Core^™ processors delivers Ultra HD 4K resolution and HD video recording during surgical procedures. And we describe how the processors’ advanced security technologies help protect patient and hospital data.

Figure 1. To help improve patient outcomes, hospitals need an all-in-one surgical workstation that display content from both PACS and EHR.

The Data Disconnect in the Surgical Suite

While both PACS and EHR systems are designed to improve productivity, the rapid implementation of EHRs as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) resulted in the isolation of EHRs from PACS (Figure 2). This separation imposes an unnecessary barrier to full knowledge of a patient and their condition.

Figure 2. In hospitals, electronic health records (EHRs) are often accessed today on rolling carts or medical notebook computers.

In seeking to become Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and meet requirements to reduce readmission rates, many healthcare organizations are searching for ways to improve surgical collaboration and coordination of patient care. For many, a first step towards improving this collaboration and coordination, as well as overall patient care, is the integration of disparate EHRs and clinical data systems to enhance their interoperability.

The challenge they face is the lack of graphically advanced surgical workstations, patient terminals, and mobile nursing workstations that can access both PACS and EHRs at the point of care. Consider situations where several physicians consult on a case. They have access to systems that run either EHRs or PACS, but no system alone enables single-point simultaneous information sharing for fully informed joint counsel.

There is another issue. Because most IT computing platforms are designed for commercial use, they don’t address medical-environment concerns such as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Medical-grade computing platforms must ensure a device is compatible with the electromagnetic environment (EME) and do not emit electromagnetic energy levels that cause interference in nearby medical devices. Such interference can create technical issues in vulnerable medical devices, posing real threats to patients and the potential for lawsuits. This interference potential makes combining EHR and PACS systems in non-medically safe IT computing platforms unacceptable.

Medical equipment suppliers should see a real opportunity here. A market need exists for a centralized medical-grade workstation that can process PACS images at the point of treatment while providing access to EHR and other clinical data systems.

The All-in-One Multi-Touch Surgical Workstation

To meet the need for such a medical-grade workstation, ONYX Healthcare designed the ZEUS-228 22″ all-in-one multi-touch surgical workstation (Figure 3). As a company focused entirely on the design and manufacture of EMC-compliant (UL/EN 60601) embedded boards and fanless medical all-in-one system platforms, ONYX Healthcare knows exactly which features and capabilities are required for a wide range of medical environments.

The ONYX Healthcare ZEUS-228 22" all-in-one multi-touch surgical workstation enables access to PACS images and EHRs. — Figure 3. The ONYX Healthcare ZEUS-228 22″ all-in-one multi-touch surgical workstation enables access to PACS images and EHRs.

From vital-sign monitoring in ICUs to 3D skull-printing analysis for neurosurgery, the ONYX ZEUS-228 workstation provides simultaneous access to high-precision DICOM medical images and EHRs so surgeons can make better real-time clinical decisions (Figure 4). Rather than taking the time to sit at a desk or move to another room, they can make informed clinical decisions at the point of care.

Figure 4. The ONYX Healthcare ZEUS-228 surgical workstation puts simultaneous access to PACS images and EHRs at a surgeon’s fingertips.

Using the latest Intel^® Core^™ processors in a fanless system design, this advanced workstation enables:

Virtually silent display of PACS images and real-time patient monitoring readings
Rapid decryption and encryption of patient data from multiple EHR systems for fast, secure access to information and all-points protection of patient privacy
Easy cleaning and infection control through a medical-grade design

An Application-Ready Solution

The ONYX ZEUS-228 offers many advantages to medical device manufacturers. Typical medical device development cycles take up to three years. Rather than spending valuable engineering resources to develop all the components of a long-life surgical workstation platform, manufacturers can start with the ONYX ZEUS-228, a pre-certified medical-grade (CE/FCC Class B and UL/EN 60601) all-in-one platform that satisfies electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection and electrical shock isolation requirements.

Starting with a platform that’s pre-certified for surgical intensive-care use allows medical device manufacturers to focus engineering resources on advancing the proprietary knowledge of their own areas of expertise. Examples include MRI scanning, ultrasound, or surgical procedure automation. The time they save on hardware development reduces design costs and helps them achieve faster time to market.

In addition, ONYX Healthcare products help medical device manufacturers maintain long-term lifecycles. ONYX products provide a seven-year (or more) product longevity – a prerequisite for most medical device designs. This long life minimizes the need to renew medical certifications enforced by the FDA and other certification bodies to meet different regional regulatory requirements.

A Closer Look

For fast application and imaging performance, the ONYX ZEUS-228 uses dual-channel DDR>4 SODIMM up to 32 GB. Its 22″ full HD, high-contrast multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) LCD with LED backlight provides sharp, clear graphics and fast response. The MVA panel provides wide viewing angles so staff can maintain their positions in the surgical suite. With the graphic support from integrated Intel^® HD Graphics 520 and a built-in DICOM module, the workstation enables viewing of clinical-level (DICOM-compliant) medical images. Using picture-in-picture mode, staff can display multiple independent sources simultaneously on one screen.

For easy cleaning with commonly used infection-control agents, the latex glove-friendly projected capacitive (PCAP) multi-touch touchscreen technology uses an IP65 splash-proof front panel design and IPX4 fanless back panel. The 10-point multi-touch screen enables close collaboration, while programmable function keys in the front panel allow users to set up shortcuts that enhance workflow.

For I/O, the workstation features 4 kV medically isolated USB, COM, and LAN ports that prevent electrical shock from damaging the unit and keep current leakage from harming patients connected to the device. For fast data transfers with peripherals and scalable medical feature expansions, the workstation supports six USB 3.0 ports, two Mini Card slots for an integrated wireless/Bluetooth* module and an HD decoding module, and two PCI Express 3.0 (x16) expansion slots. These slots enable additions such as a data acquisition card, frame grabber, backup-power charging board, or specialty I/O board.

The Graphics Performance Benefits of a New Processor Generation

The 6th generation Intel^® Core^™ i7-6600U processor – part of Intel’s newest wave of 14 nm processors – allows the ONYX ZEUS-228 to deliver a new level of performance. These processors unlock new possibilities for 3D medical imaging to empower surgeons with advanced clinical diagnostic capabilities during a procedure. The processor’s integrated Intel^® HD Graphics 520 provides up to 30 percent better graphics performance than previous-generation graphics for rapid, sharp 4K display of 2D/3D images and video.

The 6th generation Intel® Core™ i7-6600U processor’s integrated Intel® HD Graphics 520 provides up to 30 percent better graphics performance than the previous generation. — Figure 5. The 6th generation Intel^® Core^™ i7-6600U processor’s integrated Intel^® HD Graphics 520 provides up to 30 percent better graphics performance than the previous generation.

For faster, hardware-accelerated rendering, the 6th generation Intel Core processors support next-generation graphics application programming interfaces (APIs) such as Microsoft* DirectX* 12, OpenGL* 4.4, and OpenCL* 2.0. For medical applications involving video such as teleproctoring and education, the processors’ high-quality HD video recording supports up to 20 percent faster 4K transcode. Dedicated hardware support for 4K playback (as high as 4096 x 2304 @ 24 Hz and 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz) ensures high detail.

Data Security

In most healthcare settings, surgical workstations use the Internet to access EHRs and exchange data with other devices for consultation, collaboration, and records storage. To protect patient data, platforms need to defend against security threats, maintain regulatory compliance, and support privacy policies.

The 6th generation Intel^® Core^™ processor family offers Intel’s most advanced security yet. The built-in Intel^® Data Protection Technology (Intel^® DPT) includes a new feature: Intel^® Software Guard Extensions (Intel^® SGX). This feature adds a level of hardware-based protection over Intel’s existing solutions by putting data into a secure container on the platform. Intel SGX lets applications create hardware-enforced trusted execution protection for their sensitive routines and data. Run-time execution is protected from observation or tampering by any other software (including privileged software) in a system.

Intel DPT also includes hardware-assisted encryption capabilities. Intel^® Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions (Intel^® AES-NI) enables faster data encryption and decryption. With Intel AES-NI, cryptography solutions protect surgical records and patient data with little effect on system response times so that performance remains uncompromised at critical moments of a procedure.

The 6th generation Intel Core processor family also includes Intel^® Platform Protection Technology (Intel^® PPT). One of its features, Intel^® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel^® TXT), provides a measured launch for operating systems (OSs) and hypervisors, ensuring that the system always boots into a trusted state. On top of this, Intel PPT includes Intel^® OS Guard, which helps protect an OS from the escalation-of-privilege attacks used by malware. This built-in security technology works constantly to deliver extensive, automatic “blanket” protection that helps defend against these sophisticated attacks and prevents viruses from taking hold deep in a system.

Putting PACS and EHRs at the Surgeon’s Fingertips

Giving surgeons access to all clinical information simultaneously at the point of treatment, the ONYX ZEUS-228 all-in-one surgical workstation provides better insight at critical moments of treatment to help improve patient outcomes and workflow efficiency. The use of 6th generation Intel Core processors ensures the performance, graphics capabilities, and security protections required for today’s healthcare systems. Medical device manufacturers starting with this medical-grade platform will save development time and costs that they can use instead to perfect their applications.

A Superhighway to Connected Car Value

Posted on January 1, 2016May 13, 2022 by David Jackson

Using the IoT to Improve Car Reliability and Customer Relationships

Automakers around the world are enhancing vehicle operation and customer experiences with a dizzying array of technologies ranging from driver-assistance systems to touchscreen infotainment systems with high-resolution displays and incredible sound. This increasing vehicle complexity, however, escalates development costs and malfunction risks, as well as the potential for expensive recalls.

To better manage these fleets of complex vehicles, automakers need a way to enable wireless monitoring of vehicles through the Internet of Things (IoT). Using Big Data analytics on the collected data, they could then identify anomalies, quickly alert drivers of potentially faulty components, and enable predictive maintenance systems that increase reliability ratings and help drivers avoid breakdowns. Far-sighted automakers also could study daily usage patterns to uncover opportunities for operational improvements and new features and services.

This article looks at the enormous benefits automakers and drivers gain by connecting vehicles to the IoT for data extraction. We consider a solution that addresses the challenges of harvesting data throughout a product’s life and continuously converting it into useful insights. We describe how this solution works with leading cloud solutions like Microsoft Azure to enable predictive analysis using machine learning. And we look at how Intel® In-Vehicle Solutions provides a hardened, automotive-grade, application-ready hardware platform with the compute performance and connectivity to enable onboard data analysis for reduced cloud costs.

The Big Data Opportunity for Automakers

The exponential growth of in-vehicle connected devices is driving automaker interest in the collection, transport, storage, and analysis of their diverse data. An IHS Automotive study estimates that 152 million actively connected cars will be on the road by 2020, generating 30 terabytes (TBs) of data each day at about 350 MB per second (MBps). This is 23 times more data than the 15 MBps generated in 2013. Not included are the comparable volumes of data generated by instrumented test vehicles during product development before a single car is sold.

This mountain of data offers insight into the vehicles (diagnostics, wear, maintenance, defects) and their drivers (location, usage patterns, driving history). The IHS Automotive study estimates the potential value from Big Data assets in the connected car at $14.5 billion USD or more by 2020. Such figures will remain academic, however, unless the data can be exploited to achieve real business goals.

To balance the sheer volume and cost of collecting and managing the data against the potential value, automakers need Big Data strategies. They need mechanisms for realizing value from data early (close to the collection point) and for adjusting data collection strategies throughout the vehicle lifecycle.

A Solution from within the Industry

A global integrator in many sectors, Altran has been active in the automotive industry for over 30 years and is a long-standing partner of leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 and 2 automotive suppliers. To address IoT challenges and opportunities in the field, the company is introducing its VueForge* portfolio of products and managed services.

VueForge integrates technology, usage, and business models within machine-driven Big Data by combining in-depth domain knowledge with in-house accelerators, turnkey services, and a supporting ecosystem. The solution provides insights on new cost, time, and quality optimization opportunities across a wide range of industries.

VueForge addresses five stages in the continuous cycle of transforming machine data into value (Figure 1). Each stage must comply with industry security and privacy regulations as it performs one of these roles:

Connecting sensors and machines with solutions like Intel® IoT Gateway Technology and Intel In-Vehicle Solutions
Establishing a transport network for sending data to infrastructure, such as a cloud
Implementing turnkey analytics, data visualization, and business intelligence tools
Delivering product and services innovation and ideation based on business intelligence from these tools
Supporting business model innovation based on the collected intelligence

Figure 1. VueForge provides solutions for all five stages required for a continuous cycle of harvesting Big Data and turning it into valuable insight, services, and business

Much of VueForge’s value comes from its four in-house accelerators. These accelerators and their functions include:

VueForge Sense, which provides an extremely low-power-consuming, software-based sensing technology for turning commodity microcontroller platforms and smartphones into powerful sensors.
VueForge Think, which extracts valuable information from data and presents it in easily understood forms.
VueForge Play, which aids rapid prototyping by providing a lightweight cloud-based IoT platform.
VueForge Innovate, which offers a design-thinking approach for creating new services and business models.

VueForge in Action

Elements of the VueForge product portfolio are already field-proven for advanced data collection and services in vehicles. Most recently, Altran and Microsoft explored a range of new application possibilities for car manufacturers and car owners based on vehicle usage data. The demonstration used VueForge components and an open-and-connected car platform consisting of an enhanced infotainment unit with an Intel® processor.

The base platform – connected to the car’s CAN bus – provided two levels of information. First, it gave drivers access to a vehicle-specific application through cloud-enabled smartphone services. The smartphone application displayed vehicle status and alerts, advisory information, and key performance indicators such as real-time fuel consumption and estimated total cost of ownership (TCO) against other drivers of the same make and model (Figure 2). The solution based these TCO estimates on driver history and vehicle repair data and prices for standard service actions at approved dealers. Fuel pricing estimates were a statistical estimate.

Figure 2. Drivers’ smartphones provide access to an application displaying vehicle information.

The platform’s second level of information – delivered to automakers and fleet operators – illustrated the value of statistical data on an entire population of their vehicles (Figure 3). A massively parallel cloud-based simulation generated a 500,000-vehicle data set to demonstrate scaling data collection and analysis. Using such a tool, automakers could track component health and faults, driving environments, and driving styles.

Figure 3. Automakers can view aggregated usage, advisory information, and key performance indicators.

The demonstration also uncovered additional benefits. By enabling a connection between the vehicle and the driver, the smartphone application provided automakers with a valuable tool for managing customer relationships. They could easily issue alerts and recall notifications for massive savings in customer notification, as well as an increase in customer satisfaction.

Seeking to explore variations in driver behavior, Altran and Microsoft extended this open-and-connected car platform with Microsoft Azure cloud services. Machine learning algorithms classified driver fuel consumption by demographic characteristics, building a predictive model for forecasting fleet-level or regional fuel consumption. When combined with forecasted fuel cost variations, the model could advise on cost-optimized individual refueling schedules. This predictive element strengthens the connection between automaker and driver. Collecting data on additional parameters allows automakers to offer service specials, new car rebates, and other timely communications based on a car owner’s actual vehicle use.

Handling Big Data

A key insight from this demonstration was the technical trade-off required between the richness of the sensor suite and the cost and feasibility of processing the resulting volumes of data in the cloud. The early objective to “capture everything” was soon scaled back in consideration of the data volumes generated by a 1 Mbps CAN bus on each of 500,000 vehicles.

Network bandwidth and cloud costs will affect the volume of information automakers collect and analyze in the cloud. They can, however, balance the cost of data transfer and storage against the cost of providing local processing and intelligence. Strategies for reducing the communication cost include aggregating several sensor values into a composite measure and reporting some parameters only when they deviate from a specified range. Also, increasing the sophistication of the in-vehicle data processing can help reduce lifetime data management costs.

Intel® In-Vehicle Solutions under the Hood

A more advanced vehicle platform than the demonstration platform is the Intel In-Vehicle Solutions development kit. This platform provides the compute power to handle VueForge, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, and on-board sensors (including radar and vision-based sensors). It also enables local analytics and data compression to ensure overall success of the end-to-end system.

Based on the Intel® Atom™ processor E3800 product family, the Intel In-Vehicle Solutions’ compute module delivers integrated, highly efficient, and dedicated image signal processing, as well as outstanding compute, graphics, and media performance with a processor operating within a 5-10 W thermal design power (TDP). The module also includes a power management solution and the Intel® Ethernet Controller I210-IS, which supports IEEE 802.1Qav audio-video bridging (AVB) for tightly controlled media-stream synchronization, buffering, and reservation.

Intel’s hardened, automotive-grade, application-ready platform comes with all the necessary hardware, middleware, and software stacks for Linux*, Microsoft Windows*, and Android* operating systems (Figure 4). A uniquely comprehensive, pre-integrated set of automotive middleware comprises core features such as automotive boot times, power management, persistency, connectivity, graphics, and audio/video functions.

Figure 4. This diagram of an Intel® In-Vehicle Solutions development kit shows its comprehensive built-in connectivity and I/O.

To facilitate the development of custom solutions, the Intel-supplied middleware is flexible and extensible, providing a well-defined API for adding other compatible functions and applications from various ecosystems. IVI system developers can easily incorporate new applications and additional middleware.

Because security is a major concern for connected car owners, the Intel Atom processor E3800 family includes a built-in Secure Boot feature that helps prevent malware infiltrations by allowing only trusted software to run on the platform. To ensure reliability, the processor includes hardware-assisted virtualization and support for error-correcting code (ECC) memory and an industrial temperature range (-40 °C to 110 °C).

The Intel In-Vehicle Solutions module includes a board support package (BSP) and fully validated I/O and graphics drivers optimized for Intel Atom processors. Along with reducing development time for connected car projects, the module enables software compatibility with next-generation Intel Atom processors, thereby encouraging and supporting new feature and services development.

The Road Ahead

Running VueForge on the Intel In-Vehicle Solutions provides an end-to-end solution that can help automakers reap the benefits of the IoT by extracting real value from massive amounts of vehicle data. Automakers can use the combined solutions’ data collection and analysis capabilities to gain insight into how to continuously improve customer experiences and product quality, develop more competitive feature sets, and reduce exposure to costly recalls by catching issues in their infancy.

For more information on the Altran VueForge portfolio of products, see intel.com/SD-altran-Vueforge

To learn more about building smart, connected in-vehicle experiences, see intel.com/embedded-transportation

Altran (intel.com/MR-altran) is a General member of the Intel® Internet of Things Solutions Alliance. A global integrator, Altran offers packaged solutions in IoT application areas such as autonomous systems, smartphones, smart meters, medical devices, connected cars, advanced air traffic control, and smart sensors. Altran’s experience in the automotive industry dates back 30 years and today includes IVI, navigation and telematics systems, optimized driving systems, and on-board diagnostics (OBD). The company’s solutions address all automotive sectors, including passenger, truck, commercial, agricultural, and military vehicles.

Microsoft is an Associate member of the Intel® Internet of Things Solutions Alliance.