Introduction
Connected cars are the new norm. They’re everywhere you look – be it the roads, car dealerships, parkings, or any OEM’s catalogue.
It’s hard to deny their appeal: connected cars are comfortable, personalised, have a large number of high-tech safety features, and superior infotainment systems. But as the demand for them grows, so does the number of automotive solutions – and solution providers – on the market.
If you are looking to tap into the most recent automotive trends, you better find a reliable software development partner, one that is particularly experienced in Automotive. But there are so many automotive software vendors out there; how do you choose the right one?
Well, we’ve gathered the cream of the crop right here.
What makes automotive software development different?
Automotive software development is a lot of responsibility. An automotive app can’t afford poor performance: the lives of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians are on the line.
This means that automotive software companies must hold themselves up to an incredibly high security and optimisation standard. To that end, they must follow numerous regulations, such as SAE J3061, ISO 26262, and many others.
Additionally, automobile software is often expensive.
It requires complex integrations with in-vehicle systems, all of which have to function perfectly. This makes for a relatively high-risk venture, and the devs must be able to deliver a project with the appropriate level of quality for the price.
Moreover, they need to have a deep knowledge of the current automotive trends. This will help refine the initial idea in a way that will ensure its marketwide success.
How did we choose the best connected cars software development companies?
We’ve selected the best development teams based on a number of criteria. The biggest ones boil down to:
- Expertise. A substantial track record of car projects and client endorsements played a huge role. Both are good markers of what the company is capable of, its expertise, and the ability to bring results.
- Cost. We also considered the availability of certain teams in terms of pricing. Big costs don’t always translate to quality work, and providing great services at reasonable rates is a massive advantage.
- Customer experience. Finally, we noted a diligent approach to providing a great client experience. To make the list, the companies were supposed to be meticulous about following all the necessary security protocols, testing practices, and Agile development methodologies.
Here’s who we got as a result.
Top 10 automotive and connected car software developers
1. Bamboo Apps
Founded: 2002
Headquarters: Tallinn, Estonia
Services: automotive MVP and prototyping, HMI and UX/UI design, car connectivity development, shared mobility app development, Bluetooth connectivity.
With over a decade of experience in automotive development, Bamboo has established itself as a very solid partner for the industry’s biggest players.
The team has collaborated with such brands as Jaguar Land Rover, Rinspeed, and Škoda, and has developed a multitude of groundbreaking projects for self-driving vehicles, connected cars, and ridesharing service providers.
Their notable projects as of late include a unique dispatch application for managing automated shuttles and an AR-powered in-vehicle onboarding solution.
The first is the first application of its kind for mobile devices and is an incredible feat of UX/UI design. The second is novel in its application of context-sensitive voiceovers and augmented reality to solve the problem of confusion and discomfort on the road.
2. Intellias
Founded: 2002
Headquarters: Lviv, Ukraine
Services: Vehicle connectivity development, remote vehicle control apps, cloud application development, infotainment system development, OTA updates.
Intelias is a Ukranian company with massive experience in V2X connectivity and autonomous vehicle development. The team has earned worldwide recognition, being listed among the fastest growing European companies by Inc. 5000.
It should come as no surprise that major names gravitate to the firm: it has collaborated with the likes of Siemens, Microsoft, Kia, and more.
Intellias is particularly proficient when it comes to remote diagnostics and OTA updates for in-vehicle software. For instance, they have implemented over-the-air map updates for connected cars, opening a slew of IoT opportunities for their client company.
3. Cloud Made
Founded: 2008
Headquarters: London, UK
Services: UI/UX design, full-stack connectivity architecture, connected vehicle software development, content curation connectivity, integration of large datasets for self-learning solutions.
The London-based team of Cloud Made prides itself on its connected vehicle expertise and incredible work ethic, working alongside companies from Europe, Asia, and the US.
Perhaps, Cloud Made’s most well-known project is their Connected Car Content solution. It empowers manufacturers by providing their clients with top-notch content-centric experiences built into the native HMI.
The service is currently used by thousands of content providers all across the world – and that’s just one of the company’s many advanced products.
4. Belitsoft
Founded: 2004
Headquarters: Warsaw, Poland
Services: Automotive software development, system integration, UX/UI design, consulting.
Belitsoft operates in a multitude of industries, including Automotive, and boasts a massive Agile development portfolio.
Its custom SaaS ERP and CRM platform for engineering services companies is what has earned the company a spot on this list. The solution is available in English, Spanish, and French, and has an impressive array of features.
The application includes parts and repair management, cost estimation, production management, AR management, technician tracking, and scheduling. Today, it’s used by hundreds of auto repair services worldwide.
5. Nordsys
Founded: 2006
Headquarters: Braunschweig, Germany
Services: System architecture design, telematics development, Car2X communication software, OSGi integration and OSGi bundles, visualisation and simulation and web services.
A trusted partner of Volkswagen, Audi, and Daimler,Nordsys stands as one of the top European developers in Automotive.
The company has garnered great acclaim for its expertise in building wireless driver assistance systems, telematics software, and all kinds of vehicle communication systems. It’s particularly famous for its V2X proficiency.
The team delivers high-quality middleware that lets vehicles from different manufacturers seamlessly communicate with each other – a crucial technology in the modern age.
6. Airbiquity
Founded: 1997
Headquarters: Seattle, US
Services: Service management and integration, OTA updates, data management,
fleet management software.
Airbiguity is often hailed as one of the leading connected car software developers in the world, and for good reason. It is trusted by the biggest OEMs out there: BMW, Nissan, Ford, Renault, and many others.
Their product portfolio is impressive one. Probably, their most notable project is the Choreo platform, which was one of the first cloud services for connected cars released on the global market.
Today, over 43 million vehicles worldwide are powered by Airbiquity software technology.
7. Grape Up
Founded: 2006
Headquarters: Santa Clara, US
Services: Connected car software development, shared mobility, cloud, big data, AI and machine learning.
Grape Up is another US-based application development vendor that aims to help OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers create a software-centric future for the industry.
Endorsed by the likes of Porsche, Volkswagen, and Arity, Grape Up has solidified itself as a top-notch automotive services provider. The team’s expertise encapsulates everything from IoT technology to machine learning and cloud tech.
The latter is showcased in their automotive cloud prototyping project for Porsche. Grape Up delivered a platform that facilitated the development of new services and connected vehicles, users, and in-car software providers.
8. Denso
Founded: 1949
Headquarters: Kariya, Aichi, Japan
Services: Automotive hardware manufacturing, automotive software development, IoT technologies, connected vehicle applications, automotive quantum computing.
Founded all the way back in 1949, Denso is mostly known as a car parts manufacturer. They have partnered with many household names: Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Jaguar, and many more.
But the company also has a huge R&D department focused on the development of futuristic automotive technologies. From quantum computing to MaaS, Denso’s software team is ambitious, to say the least.
For example, the Denso MaaS concept is a cloud-based platform that replicates real-life urban environments and traffic patterns and analyses them in order to provide a safer and more secure experience for drivers and passengers alike.
9. Global Logic
Founded: 2006
Headquarters: San Jose, US
Services: Digital cockpit software, electronic control units software, connectivity and telematics, advanced driver assistance systems, virtual maintenance, design and styling.
“The car is the new software platform,” Global Logic claims. The company is dedicated to solving the many problems plaguing the automotive industry with the highest quality solutions.
The team’s expertise encompasses advanced digital cockpit and driver assistance software, as well as virtual maintenance and connectivity applications. They also provide design services and solutions for electronic control units.
Having collaborated with such innovators as Sprint, Oracle, and Cisco, Global Logic has made a name for itself as a highly skilled automotive developer – and has very much earned a spot on this list.
10. N-ix
Founded: 2002
Headquarters: Lviv, Ukraine
Services: Connected vehicle technology, automotive cloud, ML and computer vision, automotive VR and AR, IoT automotive applications, enterprise mobility solutions.
N-ix has several verticals of expertise, with Automotive being one of them. This development team hailing from Ukraine helps OEMs, as well as Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers harness the power of machine learning, cloud computing, and virtual and augmented reality.
The company also delivers EV charging solutions, manufacturing apps, car dealership applications, and ride sharing software for all types of vehicles.
To provide an example of their work, N-ix successfully refactored and modernised the iCabbi app in 2019. It is an Irish taxi dispatch application that needed to be migrated from a monolithic architecture to microservices – and the team pulled it off with flying colours.
Conclusion
Connected vehicles services are enjoying unprecedented popularity right now. IoT and cloud technologies are the default, and V2X expertise is wildly sought over in the automotive software industry.
To secure a place in the this rapidly evolving field, you’ll have to partner with a company that fits the following criteria:
- Has substantial experience in the automotive market;
- Has case studies to back up its expertise;
- Has a good reputation (client reviews, awards, endorsements);
- Has reasonable pricing (try not to go too low or too high);
- Follows all the security regulations and standards;
- Follows and understands industry trends.
The number of companies that fit the bill is large, but you can absolutely find the perfect one for you with proper research. In the end, don’t self-sabotage and choose your development team with care.