Google to Unveil In-Car Operating System

Google will debut its first in-car operating system at its annual software developer conference this month. Internally known as the 'Google Auto Link (GAL)', this system will be the first product from the Open Automotive Alliance, a conglomerate led by Google that also includes Audi AG, General Motors Co., Honda Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Group and chipmaker NVIDIA Corp.

Delving into further details, GAL is not an embedded infotainment system, but a 'projected' system that will allow users to control smartphones using Google's Android operating system via a car's controls and display screen. Though Google intends to reveal the interface and offer demonstrations to developers at the conference, it will not announce which model will use it first.

Given that Google started foraying into the automotive world in 2005 and partnered up with many automakers since then, developing interfaces for Android phones seems like the obvious thing to do. To cite some examples of the aforementioned partnerships, Audi has an exclusive deal for its luxury cars to use Google Earth satellite images as an overlay for GPS maps, while Hyundai has equipped some of its cars with a built-in Google search engine function that allows drivers to find nearby destinations with voice recognition.

The launch of GAL will also escalate the California-based company's competition with Apple to lead the domain of dashboard computing. Apple made waves at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show with CarPlay, an interface that lets drivers select songs, set a GPS destination, or make a call using voice controls or buttons on a touchscreen. Apple also states that CarPlay would be first offered in the Ferrari FF and that models from other brands including Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo would follow later this year.

The entry of Google and Apple into the automotive space could lead car manufacturers to change their approach, considering the amount of time and money they spend crafting their own infotainment systems.