Connected Cars – GM Debuts Ultifi for Saleable APPs, Services

Posted on 29 September 2021 by Ken Zino

General Motors Today announced Ultifi, its revised software platform designed to “unlock new vehicle experiences and connect customers’ digital lives.” Ultifi will help the frequent and seamless delivery of software-defined apps and services to customers over the air, GM said.

This latest move is part of an ongoing transition in the auto industry toward more cloud-based services, faster software development and new opportunities to increase revenue and, maybe, customer loyalty. Ultifi is enabled by hardware built into some next-generation products starting in 2023, encompassing internal combustion and electric vehicles.

Ultifi builds upon the so-called Vehicle Intelligence Platform (VIP), GM’s advanced electrical architecture. VIP-enabled vehicles today provide over-the-air capability, good data bandwidth, cybersecurity measures, and fast processing power. GM engineers will now separate key software “into a new centralized layer that acts as a powerful hub for vehicle systems. The Ultifi platform will allow accelerated development and deployment of software and applications over the air to millions of customers, without affecting basic hardware controls,” GM claimed. (GM Digital Vehicle Platform Debuts; Connected Cars – Toyota and NTT Want Standardization; Ford Motor in Corktown and Newlab Working on – What Else – Vehicle Connectivity, Autonomy and Electrification)

“GM has decades of experience writing vehicle software, creating a solid foundation to build on,” said Mark Reuss, GM president. “Now with Ultifi, we will be able to improve our software continuously, and deliver new features and apps to customers in a fraction of the time.”

Although Ultifi is an in-house platform, it’s being designed with external developers in mind, GM said. It uses Linux® software, a widely used platform, which allows GM to give authorized third-party developers access to innovate on behalf of its customers.

This raises yet again privacy concerns , as well as who owns and can sell your personal information. The Pew Research Center notes that a digitally networked society runs on, well, quid pro quos. In this non-impeachable case, people exchange details about themselves and their activities for services and products on the web or apps.

Like a smart phone, customers can expect regular updates and will be able to choose from multiple over-the-air upgrades, personalization options and new and apps 1.This customization in theory can alter the ownership experience as enabled vehicles will have access to the latest software and capabilities. Some of these upgrades and settings can be saved to authenticated account 2 so they can be transferred between similarly equipped GM vehicles.

For example, internal cameras could be used for facial recognition to start the vehicle’s engine. Based on route planning and GPS, teen driver settings could be adjusted for extra caution in a school zone or vehicles could even communicate with a smart home en route to deactivate the security system and adjust the thermostat.

Similarly, the cloud connectivity could potentially extend to V2X or vehicle-to-everything applications to help advance GM’s lofty goal of zero crashes and zero congestion. Through communication with other connected devices and infrastructure, drivers could be alerted to hazards or changing road conditions and be able to effectively time traffic signals.

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GM Ultifi Fine Print

1 Some updates and premium features will be at additional cost.
2 Subscription may be required.

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About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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One Response to Connected Cars – GM Debuts Ultifi for Saleable APPs, Services

  1. Pingback: GM  Revamps Information Technology for Growth | AutoInformed

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