Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Information Systems in the Global Economy
GM Changes Focus from Gears and Mechanics to Software and
Electronic Systems
The automotive industry is experiencing perhaps the most significant evolutionary tran-
sition since Henry Ford designed the first production line. Faced with formidable pres-
sures that include international competition, environmental concerns, increasing traffic,
and driving-related fatalities, automotive companies are rethinking the way they design
and build cars. For General Motors (GM), this means changing its focus from gears and
pistons to electronic systems and software.
Addressing an audience of technology innovators, GM researcher Robert Baillargeon
explained that GM is embracing what it calls “a new automotive DNA.” Although the
automotive industry historically focused on mechanical innovation, GM is now turning its
attention to electronic propulsion, steering systems, and the software that controls them.
Baillargeon suggested that an increasing number of GM researchers will have back-
grounds in software engineering. Overseas competitors such as Toyota have relied on
technology to streamline production processes and offer lower prices to consumers. Now
GM is countering with its own technological innovations.
The new automotive DNA that Baillargeon described uses dozens of software systems
to control some vehicle operations and work together by communicating over a network.
Not only will various systems within a car communicate with each other, but each car on
the road will communicate with other cars. For example, cars a mile ahead of your car
could warn you of icy conditions, a pothole, or heavy traffic, allowing you to prepare by
slowing down or choosing an alternate route. Software in the car will also provide infor-
mation about the cost of travel routes based on fuel consumption and tolls. Software will
empower cars with new levels of intelligence, creating smart cars that provide the driver
with helpful travel information. Eventually, cars will be able to drive themselves using
vehicle-to-vehicle communications, GPS, 360-degree sensing, and swarm intelligence (the
ability to solve traffic problems as a group) to deliver passengers to their destination safely,
quickly, and with minimum impact on the environment.
Companies such as GM are taking the first steps to realize this automotive vision. GM
engineers are selecting software platforms on which to base these systems and determin-
ing how to distribute the software systems throughout the car's components. They are
relying on state-of-the-art software development techniques such as object-oriented design
and programming to define how software systems interact within the car, and using the
Unified Modeling Language (UML) to map the entire automotive system. The new elec-
tronics paradigm of the automotive industry will dramatically change the way we think of
cars and transportation.
As you read this chapter, consider the following:
•
What types of activities can we entrust to software? In systems where life is at stake,
how can we ensure safety when software fails?
•
What should companies consider when designing software systems that need to
interact with similar systems designed by competitors?
