DETROIT – General Motors announced that it is contributing a vehicle services definition called “uServices” to the automotive software developer community. The uServices aims to standardize software interfaces to securely access vehicle systems from anywhere in an OEM’s vehicle ecosystem. This standardized interface and associated programming model enables efficient development of distributed software required by Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs).
GM is contributing uServices by joining the Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA). Specifically, COVESA is a global, member-driven alliance focused on the development of open standards and technologies that accelerate innovation for connected vehicle systems.
“General Motors intends to play a leading role in unifying a global community of creative developers. It aims to reduce the time it takes for the industry, from automotive manufacturers to suppliers, to develop these features. Additionally, General Motors seeks to integrate these features seamlessly into their products,” said Frank Ghenassia, executive chief architect of Software Defined Vehicles at General Motors. “By sharing existing technologies now in production, GM hopes to accelerate the development of an ecosystem. Can leverage this ecosystem to integrate third-party software at a reduced engineering cost. Moreover, by sharing existing technologies now in production, GM hopes to accelerate the development of an ecosystem. This ecosystem can be leveraged to integrate third-party software at reduced engineering cost.”
This complements GM’s recent commitment to SDV standardization. In April, the company announced it would share uProtocol with the Eclipse Foundation. Furthermore, the uProtocol is a standard with the potential to connect automotive applications and services everywhere — not just in GM products or in vehicles. It aims to create efficiency across phones and other devices talking to vehicles as well.
While uProtocol acts as the backbone for facilitating more efficient vehicle software development across the industry, uServices aims to establish standards for interfacing with vehicle features and communicating through that backbone. It drives more unified collaboration across a greater population of contributors. Moreover, it serves as a standard API to abstract vehicle services, enabling a unified connected vehicle ecosystem. COVESA’s community brings extensive experience in the software services space. Introducing uProtocol and uServices across two organizations links strong areas of experience.
“COVESA greatly appreciates GM’s active contribution to our open-source community as another global OEM,” said Steve Crumb, executive director at COVESA. “uServices is a great addition to the growing set of open-source solutions hosted by COVESA and made openly available for enhancement and adoption among a growing number of automotive stakeholders.”
The COVESA’s Data Expert workgroup was introduced to uServices during a meeting in July 2023. GM plans to contribute uServices to COVESA throughout October 2023, continuously adding to the program as it develops.
