Visteon | General - Part 3

Category: General

Creating Leaders: Progressing Women in Leadership Roles

By: Sachin Lawande

Visteon graduates first class of 22 women in Momentum leadership program

At Visteon, we believe in cultivating a pipeline of strong, impactful people who lead from the front, build strong teams, inspire change and lead the market. Last year we launched Momentum, a professional development leadership program for high-performing women.

The year-long program was demanding, with challenging, real discussions, thought-provoking activities and hands-on learning. Momentum participants were paired with a promoter (mentor) to guide them throughout the program. At the end of their Momentum journey, the 22 participants completed capstone projects which I had the pleasure of reviewing along with other leaders in the company.

In the past year, during my interactions with the participants, I have often shared these five key learnings based on my own experience. They are especially relevant as this team puts their Momentum learnings into action:

Leaders Inspire others

Leaders are not complacent. They respond to changing markets and technology with agility and nimbleness. They lead technology disruptions.

They also communicate their purpose and vision with clarity and authenticity. People are smart, and they can see or listen through the voice. You need to convince people around you and enable them to progress in the direction set by you.

Leaders inspire others. If you cannot inspire, it’s difficult to be an effective leader.

Learn from those around you

Leaders should not be afraid to admit they don’t have all the answers and should actively seek to increase their understanding of what’s new in the technology landscape. A good leader needs to have a thorough understanding of the ecosystem, trends and the competitive landscape while intentionally asking questions.

Adopt a growth mindset

Unlearn what is obsolete. Make mistakes and learn from them. Adopt a growth mindset. Our abilities will improve through learning. Learn to be comfortable in an environment that is less comfortable and more challenging.

Everyone needs a mentor

I am fortunate to have found great mentors throughout my career. My mentors have always encouraged me to take up challenging assignments — including my current role at Visteon. I give credit to my leaders of the past who pushed me to do things that I never believed I could do.

I also consider my wife who took the responsibility of my family, as my mentor. To be an effective leader, you need to seek the right kind of mentors. We do nothing on our own.

Raise your hand

We need to strive for success; it is not automatic. Do not wait for someone to anoint you. Raise your hand and be vocal with your thoughts. Network and ask many questions.

Professional growth does not occur by accident, it is a burning passion used to propel us forward. If you have that, you will get the support that you need to progress in your career.

Believe in yourself and step up.

To the Visteon Momentum, class of 2021, I wish you the very best. And as I always say, the automotive industry is a legitimate participant in the global connected digital lifestyle and the economy that we are part of. There is no better time than today to be part of this exciting industry.

In the Driver’s Seat: Consumer Experience and Sustainability

By: Sachin Lawande

The term “industry in transformation” is often an over-used cliché, but when it comes to the automotive industry, we are witnessing a once-in-a-century transformation. In the last few years, the speed of change has accelerated tremendously, driven by consumers who lean toward clean and connected technology. With so much happening in the automotive industry, these are the three key areas that will initiate the dawn of the new era.

Green vehicles for a sustainable world

Since the inception of the automobile, vehicles have been powered by fossil fuels. Today, transportation in all its various forms amounts to about one-third of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is a significant contributor to global warming. In the U.S., light-duty vehicles alone contribute to about half of all the GHG emissions.

There is a global push to achieve zero emissions and carbon neutrality. Governments around the world are establishing strict vehicle emission requirements on future vehicles making green transportation the primary focus to achieve a healthy and sustainable society. To meet these requirements, automakers have to produce and sell more vehicles that are battery-powered. 

With expected improvements in battery technology and cost, the cost of making an electric vehicle will achieve parity with a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) before the end of this decade. Several car manufacturers have already announced the switch from gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles to electric by 2035 in leading markets, and worldwide by 2040.

Emergence of software-defined vehicles

 Electrification is not the only big change occurring in the industry. The modern car uses an array of electronic systems powered by software to deliver a safe, reliable and smartphone-like experience. We are now truly witnessing the emergence of software-defined vehicles, with increased capabilities and services such as over-the-air software updates and downloadable apps that are expected from a computing device.

The courtship between automakers and suppliers

The increasing complexity of technologies—which are following an exponential growth pattern—toward building the car as a software product will significantly change the landscape of suppliers and car manufacturers. The skills and expertise that they relied on in the past will not assure success in the future. Cars of the future will be computing devices on wheels. Cars will also be essentially “always-on” and perform important functions even when the driver is away from the vehicle. 

Therefore, future success will depend on how the suppliers and carmakers work together to navigate the transition to a software-oriented industry. Collaboration will be the key to combining disparate software-laden electronic systems from various suppliers to provide a seamless experience to the end customer.

Just as the smartphone expanded the personal computing industry in ways that were not visible early on, electric and connected vehicles will expand the mobility industry, both in terms of the ecosystem, as well as monetization opportunities. The courtship between the automakers and suppliers will intensify!

How is Visteon preparing for this future?

At Visteon, we are fortunate to be participating in the technology domains that will have a profound effect on personal transport: connected digital cockpit, battery management and electrification electronics. We have developed strong capabilities in these areas in the past few years.

Our talent needs in the area of software and hardware are centered on key products in our portfolio—including digital clusters, cockpit domain controllers, displays, and now electrification electronics such as battery management systems, junction boxes, onboard chargers, etc.

Two relatively new areas are cloud services and power electronics. We are developing an app store and over-the-air (OTA) services that are customized to the needs of the automotive industry. This will be followed with additional “software as a service” offerings. We have teams in Portugal, Bangalore and Chennai that are working on these online services, and we need skills and expertise in full-stack development and data analytics.

In the area of electrification, we are expanding beyond battery management systems to power conversion and distribution products such as DC-DC converter, onboard charger, junction box, and 2-in-1 or even 3-in-1 systems. We are seeking talent to strengthen our teams in the U.S., Mexico, China and Bulgaria.

Our business is also witnessing growth in cockpit domain controllers, digital clusters and displays. We need talented software developers with expertise in AUTOSAR, multimedia, audio management, QNX, Linux/Android and a host of related technologies.

It is a great time to be in the automotive industry, as it will be the industry to watch for the next decade as it undergoes this once-in-a-lifetime transformation.  Safe, reliable, and enjoyable mobility is a bedrock of modern society.  Where else can you work and grow, and do good at the same time by making the world cleaner and more sustainable?

If you’re interested in being a part of the future of mobility, explore opportunities at Visteon: https://www.visteon.com/careers/job-opportunities/.

Supporting AutoTech’s Electric Evolution with Innovation and Talent

By Dr. Tao Wang, Visteon electrification lead

As the global automotive industry undergoes a once-in-a-century transformation, Visteon is using its automotive electronics capability to support the global growth of electric vehicles. 

I arrived here after more than 10 years of designing, developing and improving General Motors’ electrification strategy and around a decade of experience in energy storage and locomotive propulsion systems at General Electric. Using those experiences and the knowledge I’ve gained to cultivate a larger electrification capability at Visteon is an exciting opportunity that will support a multitude of automakers around the world.

As our company’s electrification business evangelist, I am responsible for developing our global strategy for technologies related to electrified system. Our goal is to support the electrification revolution of our global automotive customers. We are working to build on our core expertise in battery management systems (BMS) and grow Visteon’s capabilities beyond the wireless BMS we announced last year into a SmartBMS solution, capable of multi-dimensional battery environmental monitoring and advanced prognostic features.

What is BMS?

Visteon’s wireless BMS technology replaces traditional wired connections with a highly secure and reliable wireless communication technology. Its components – the wireless cell monitoring units, a wireless network control unit, and a battery control and vehicle interface unit – allow battery packs to be assembled without the need for a low-voltage wiring harness.   

The system provides a platform to deliver highly accurate battery cell measurement, along with maximum energy use per cell required for better vehicle range. It supports multiple charging protocols and is intended to meet cost, weight and packaging requirements. We applied our cockpit electronics experience, cybersecurity and vehicle interface control modules to offer a holistic wireless BMS that improves time-to-market, design flexibility, battery pack energy density and manufacturing speed. 

However, we don’t do this alone. Automakers and battery cell suppliers typically develop the software algorithms that act on the information provided by the cell monitoring units. We integrate these algorithms into our system as part of the overall design and manufacture of the BMS solution. 

Who is using it?

General Motors is our first wireless BMS customer and has scheduled our system to launch on multiple electrified models. Our solution will help ensure the scalability of the Ultium batteries across GM’s future lineup, covering all brands and vehicle segments, from heavy-duty trucks to performance vehicles. A second global OEM followed suit and will use our wireless BMS on its EVs with launches starting in 2023. We are very excited about these wins, and look forward to presenting this cutting-edge solution to other automakers. 

Our wireless BMS is quickly becoming a technology differentiator and market disrupter, validating our belief that this solution is a high-volume business opportunity in an electric vehicle market that will expand rapidly over the next 15 years. As our automotive customers work toward an electrified future, we anticipate our BMS expertise will lead to an array of additional business opportunities. 

Automotive electronics that are largely powertrain agnostic

We are in a good positon to support the industry’s shift to electrification because our cockpit electronics solutions – digital clusters, displays, infotainment, SmartCore domain controllers, etc. – are primarily powertrain agnostic. They work seamlessly for EVs as well as traditional gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. 

Our products are already on some of the world’s most popular EVs including the Renault Zoe, which was the best-selling EV in Europe last year. This year, our products will launch on multiple models based on new electric vehicle platforms including the BEV3 from GM, the PMA platform from Geely, and Nissan’s new EV platform.

As global automakers continue to invest significantly in electrification and consumer demand continues to grow for more EV options, the number of EV models is expected to grow from about 140 to about 450 in 2025. By 2030, automakers expect to make more than 530 electric models available for sale as EVs grow to represent 25 percent of the total market. 

Recruiting talent to drive our success

During this transition away from traditional internal combustion powertrains, Visteon is building its electrification team with the goal of expanding our business beyond battery management. Ultimately, our success will be driven by talent. This is why we are seeking leaders who can proactively identify and act on global opportunities – people who can build the kind of strategic partnerships required to establish our global electrification business growth. 

We have already begun business development activities in Europe and China. In addition, we are currently exploring opportunities with charging and high-power electronics modules to expand our electrification influence. We will seek to extend our collaboration with key cell suppliers and technology leaders to better define platforms for broader application and develop state-of-the-art solutions to drive down component costs as we continue to transform Visteon into a groundbreaking technology company.  

We look forward to providing automakers with advanced technologies that will shape and drive their electrified future and enable the growth of our company and employees. In so doing, we will help transform the automotive industry and our world.

Labels. People. Work.

An employee perspective on Pride Month

By Visteon Systems Engineer Ricardo Aguilar

Pronouns: He/Him/His 

I heard a speech some time ago by a woman who said your labels are usually the first thing people notice. Labels (the way you personally define yourself) are always the first identifiers used by others to judge you.

Based on my experience, I believe this is true. However, labels may not always be a bad thing. 

Think about it: are you the happy person in the office who always makes people smile? Are you the person who always dances at parties and loves to invite others to join you? Are you the coworker who everyone fondly refers to as “neighbor”? Although these are all labels, they come without bad intentions.

The most important thing is that we have positive labels for ourselves. We all want to be respected, regardless of the labels we assign ourselves or that others place on us.

Being part of the Visteon community has provided me an environment, community and culture that respects and accepts me and all of my labels. Work is a place where I can be my authentic self – a son, brother, friend, coworker, happy, crazy, semi-fit, taco lover and gay man named Richie.

We tend to focus on what makes us different. In reality, we are much more alike than we are different. When it comes to building relationships at work, all you need to do is have a conversation to find your common ground. What I appreciate about my Visteon colleagues is that they are comfortable talking to me about any topic or situation. They show respect and tolerance to every member of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, and asexual and/or ally (LGBTQIA+) community. The more we break down barriers, remove labels and truly see people as people, the happier we become. Underneath it all, we are all human.

For the first time in Visteon’s history, we are celebrating Pride Month in June – both at Visteon Technical Center Queretaro (VTCQ) and at our global headquarters in Van Buren Township, Michigan, U.S. It took a significant amount of time and effort to organize activities with the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee in Queretaro and the Straight Allies and Gay Employees (SAGE) employee resource group in Van Buren Township. I am very happy to be a part of the month-long celebration, which will focus on education and community service with the support of our company’s leadership.

Pride Month is much more than just a celebration for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It breaks down walls, encourages open dialogue, fosters a culture of respect and helps shatter negative labels. It also helps foster a diverse, equal and inclusive environment for all people in our company and our community.

 

Visteon Looking At Confluence of Deep Automotive Experience and Disruptive Technology

By Deepangshu Dev Sarmah, Mobility Outlook

This blog includes edited excerpts. Access the full story on the Mobility Outlook.

Visteon’s solutions for the global automotive industry advance the digital, electric and autonomous evolution of its automaker customers. We speak to Visteon leaders to get a deeper understanding of their strategy for the future.

As the President of Visteon India,Aashish Bhatia is responsible for strategizing and leading profitable growth for Visteon in India. In this role, he is also responsible for driving productivity and capability of product development teams for the company’s domestic and global programs. Balaji Gudavalli is Visteon’s global vice president, engineering and product development. He leads the strategy, development and delivery of Visteon’s cockpit software platform, encompassing SmartCore™, infotainment, driver monitoring, driver information, OS/BSP and RenderCore™. He is based in Van Buren Township, Michigan, U.S.

Balaji Gudavalli

Visteon Global Vice President, Engineering and Product Development

Aashish Bhatia

President of Visteon India

How did you approach innovation following the COVID pandemic? What is your overall approach?

BG: The safety of our employees, business continuity and executing the existing projects without much delay was a priority. We were able to successfully do that.

On the innovation front, we meet once in six months to take a comprehensive look at where we are in terms of the technology roadmap, and where we want to go. Based on that, we take steps in the right direction. The team also likes that because they get to work on the best technologies.

I worked in the cell phone industry for a couple of decades, and I see that the automotive industry is pretty much following the same curve. Big players like Qualcomm and Google gaining foothold in the automotive industry, bringing talent and innovation. Therefore, the benchmark is getting higher and there is a lot of skillset upgrade we need to do to catch up with that. At Visteon, there is a lot of focus on innovation, executing it right and nurturing talent for things that we aspire to do in the next two years.

In the Indian context, how do OEMs and end-consumers perceive innovation? What does it look like in years to come?

AB: From an OEM standpoint, they are keen to work with us on the next-gen cockpit electronics, which is based on three main pillars – connectivity, safety and security. In addition to large displays and rich graphics, we see an increased adoption of voice and, the apps invading the vehicle cockpit. These will define the cockpit of the future.

This revolves around the idea of digitization, which is now transforming cockpit electronics. We are focused on the mass-market aspect, and the premium end of that. Having said that, there are overarching consumer needs across different segments, which typically gain a high degree of importance; and those are safety and security of the data, and mirroring of the smartphones on their digital cockpit.

How do you view the mobility ecosystem, and what is the approach you take to engineering and product development?

BG: We are going from a technology platform to a solution platform to an app ecosystem. So, it’s an end-to-end ecosystem that we’re creating – one, inside the car ecosystem, and the other outside the car ecosystem. We’re actually more focused on inside the car ecosystem, where we have more control. Traditionally, we have been collaborating only with the OEMs.

But today, we’re also observing other industries, including 5G, V2X, and other intelligent technologies and infrastructure. In that context, there are many use cases driven by OEMs. We also know that we need to be ahead of the curve, and hence doing things with the right plan and talent in place.

It is also important to understand how Visteon as an organization is democratizing technology, both in the global context as well as the Indian context?

AB: Talking about democratization of technology, we have a strategy for hardware reuse; we also need a very fundamental approach of having a reuse strategy for software. That will enable us faster time to market and also give a better, stable value proposition.

As products are getting more and more complex, most of our customers are looking for first-time-right. They are also looking at reuse so that there is more stability and security in the solution. The third thing they are looking at is the customization in the local and regional context.

In that context, one of the technologies that is impacting us is artificial intelligence. The use of AI, voice or voice-based system has seemed the most natural and safe mode for the driver to interact with cockpit electronics. That is another excellent example, where we see the need to have a more regional focus.

Of course there is democratization in the sense of having these building blocks, but there have also been regional applications of these technologies.

BG: There’s democratization and there is localization. We are looking at the trends in the industry. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. There is a proven Android ecosystem and there’s a corresponding platformization that happens. I’m one of the lead for software platforms inside Visteon, and we push the reusability of software components so that we can focus on differentiating them.

There’s a lot of specific effort we put in to bring that mind-set change. And that’s happening at a faster pace. We’re also hiring the right teams to bring in that mind-set change. If you look at a high level, there’s a lot of talent gap in the automotive industry compared to the number of technologies we have to bring-in and make it work. That’s also the key to make sure we are ahead of the game and are ready for the upcoming challenges.

Balaji Gudavalli

Visteon global vice president, engineering and product development

Visteon has been investing a lot in talent and creating solutions out of the Indian market, be it in the context of AI or deep learning. How is Visteon taking advantage of the engineering talent that is available in the country?

BG: We have certain special projects, such as our own internal DriveCore system. There are a lot of deep learning, artificial intelligence, machine learning (ML) and training algorithms on that. So that’s number one. We also have solutions for driver monitoring, cockpit interior sensing, electrification and battery management systems. We’re building a strong roadmap as well as doing strong pre-work on the things that we want to make sure we have.

AB: In the context of artificial intelligence, we are seeing two applications – one is voice-based and the other is camera support. Our voice-based solutions offer natural language recognition and smart assistants; and our camera-based solutions offer driver monitoring, safety and ADAS features such as lane keep assist.

We’re also focusing on vertical integration by investing on AI-based tools – for voice recognition and vision processing — that will assist OEs with their natural language processing needs, both on-board and off-board. That way, it will help meet the constant demand of cloud connectivity and with the help of AI, consumers will have a good, seamless conversation with the cockpit.

What is that one technology that excites you the most, when we think about the future?

BG: Our wireless battery management system is a new technology and has a lot of potential. We’re very excited about that as a company. In general, the AI and ML are going across all the products. Also, we want to continue being the leader in cockpit domain controllers.

Driving Innovation in Connected Infotainment 

By: Sivakumar Yeddanapudi

At Visteon, our global engineering, design and manufacturing teams are constantly striving to improve the cockpit user experience – making the car an intuitive, interactive and connected device on wheels.

This means delivering the same technology to drivers and passengers that they are used to enjoying on their smartphones and touchscreen tablets, while establishing safe parameters for drivers to navigate screens without excessive distraction. Cutting-edge solutions in the auto space are turning desirable functions into reality, with users increasingly able to “talk” to their vehicles and letting buttons “push” themselves.

At Visteon, we are challenging ourselves to contribute to this organic and evolving environment and make driving more engaging and exciting – providing the platform for every journey to be fun, convenient and safe.

We believe a high-performance infotainment system has the potential to fulfil our vision of connected driving. Currently, most in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems have a limited variety of apps that can be brought in from a phone – with usability constricted by small displays, disabled functionalities, and poor scaling of screen projection, contributing to a limited user experience. 

However, smartphones aren’t the adversaries of IVI systems. We see them as valuable assets that form the foundation of functional, capable and high-performance platforms that enhance the time we spend in our vehicles. We are taking what smartphone developers have achieved to the next level for automotive by boosting the convenience and level of choice that smartphones add to the driving experience and minimizing the risks they bring to everyday driving scenarios. 

Among a crowd of competitors racing to deliver the ultimate smart solution for the industry, Android has emerged and taken the high ground in automotive. Now geared with Visteon’s capable, customizable and efficient infotainment platform, Android systems possess enhanced versatility and flexibility – empowered to meet the needs of a wide range of in-car requirements.

Visteon’s platform-based Android-based infotainment system launched with Volkswagen Brazil operates on the latest version of Android OS, carries a huge collection of downloadable apps and in-car voice assistant, and can be extended to any display size and cockpit complexity.

The system carries a broad variety of our favorite apps, including Spotify and Waze. The selection also caters to regional preferences, with Brazil-based apps available to local consumers. When launched in global regions, consumers will be able to download a different, tailored selection of apps from their local platform.

When it comes to contemporary IVI systems, Visteon doesn’t just add Android apps to the platform. We refine, scale and adapt standard Android apps for in-vehicle use. Optimizing the interface for every app to prevent distorted scale or low-resolution visuals, Visteon enables most functionalities to be accessed through both soft keys and steering wheel buttons. This helps users more safely interact with the apps while keeping their eyes on the road. Visteon’s infotainment system provides a truly immersive experience and an appealing interface similar to the latest Android smartphones.

Our new infotainment system supports complete customization with limited software development – fully scalable from entry-level audio infotainment to the most advanced multi-display cockpit domain controller. Customers have the ability to keep the system appearance consistent across different models, but still differentiates them from one another simply by changing fonts, scaling dimensions and adjusting UI colors. One chipset provides limitless variations.

Visteon also extends the personalization experience to consumers, who can set their own skins and adopt their own in-car preferences through other customizable features. Even if a vehicle has multiple profiles, the system can store and switch to different displays to cater to whichever particular user hops into the driver’s seat.

While we constantly strive to improve the in-car experience with upgrades and updates to the infotainment system, we are also challenging ourselves to lower production cost, which will allow this innovative technology to be more widely available on the mass market.

Finally, another capability guaranteed to improve the driving experience is our Say ‘N Serve voice assistant. Working seamlessly in tandem with popular voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, Say ‘N Serve arbitrates effortlessly between different platforms. It’s designed to detect a human voice in a noisy car environment and process it within multi-intent and multi-level context. It can understand various accents, languages and even speakers. With the help of Say ‘N Serve, drivers can keep their hands on the wheel and let the virtual assistant perform tasks.

Visteon’s calendar for the next two years is marked with Android infotainment launches across the world. As we continue to improve and perfect the system, we hope to upgrade your driving experience, taking significant strides toward the kind of smart driving we promised and the industry projects for the future.

Sivakumar Yeddanapudi is a platform leader managing Visteon’s global infotainment programs. He also develops IVI platforms that incorporate the latest technologies such as advanced HTML5 HMI frameworks, web browsers, cybersecurity, reflash over-the-air and vision processing for cockpit electronics. He has more than 15 years of automotive experience and served as software developer, technical professional for audio and infotainment software, and now as platform leader, located at Visteon’s headquarters in Van Buren Township, Mich., U.S. 

Visteon Career Profile: Kris Doyle, Vice President, Treasurer and Investor Relations

By: Elaine Zhu

Kristopher Doyle joined Visteon in 2018, and is vice president, treasurer and head of investor relations. He is mainly responsible for communicating with the investment community and developing long-term strategic insights. Doyle believes that transparency and honesty is the golden rule in managing investor relations. Last year, he was recognized in the “40 under 40” program by the National Investor Relations Institute.

 

What is your day-to-day life like at Visteon?

As the head of IR, I define and communicate Visteon’s value proposition to the investment community while providing insight to our leadership team on market trends and key developments. Although there are no typical days in this role, I do spend a lot of my time speaking with investors, reading research materials and interacting with business leaders throughout our organization.   

What is the coolest thing about working at Visteon?

The automotive industry is changing rapidly, with vehicles becoming more connected and digital. This has created a great opportunity for Visteon, a pure play cockpit electronics company developing innovative products aligned with these secular trends. I think it makes working at Visteon extremely exciting.

 

What do you love the most about the culture at Visteon?

The willingness of individuals to teach. As someone coming from outside of the auto industry, I am fortunate to join an organization dedicated to educating its employees. This starts from the top as I frequently find myself asking questions to senior leaders who are keen on explaining the complexities of this industry and the nuances associated with cockpit electronics.

 

What advice would you give to someone considering working at Visteon?

I think Visteon is building an exciting product line to evolve the future cockpit, and it has been an adventurous and eye-opening experience to be part of the team. I would suggest you come in with a forward-looking mindset with the desire to learn and grow your career.

 

What would you say it takes to be successful with investor relations in the car industry?

Transparency and insight. Investor relations is a two way communication role where I provide insights for both external investors and internal management team. In difficult times like today, it is crucial to communicate to our investors with honesty and transparency, and it is also important to share industry developments and the investment community’s insights with our executive team. 

 

What is your proudest moment/achievement at Visteon?

Visteon has been going through a major transformation over the last few years, as we transition our product line to digital and connected solutions such as clusters, infotainment and displays. I am proud to be part of the team that interacts with investors to articulate our transformation vision and provide updates as we continue to make progress on next-generation product launches. 

This Week in Tech: Infotainment, the Road Ahead

By: Shripriya Subramanian

This Week in Tech is a monthly flagship webinar session hosted by the Visteon India Career Code Team and namesake of its podcast.

The first session of the webinar, titled “Infotainment, the road ahead,” was held on April 30, and included guests Rahul Singh and Binoy M.V. from the infotainment platform team with Shripriya Subramanian from communications as the moderator. The webinar was a discussion of the future of Android-based infotainment, its roadmap and the associated challenges.

The conversational format of the webinar, coupled with the spontaneous response from the guests, made this sixty-minute show worth listening to.

Here are some highlights from the conversation:

Shripriya: Hello Rahul and Binoy. So, how’s it going? How are you and your team coping with the lockdown, and more importantly, how are you keeping your teams motivated?

Binoy: We are doing well. Business continuity is our top priority. Our team is spread across India, the United States, Brazil and Germany. We have stood up to the challenge, and almost all of us are working from home now. We have moved hardware (wherever possible), creating small home-office environments. All of us are getting used to the new normal and are going above and beyond to ensure there is no lag in deliverables.

Rahul: The style of communication has changed. We are a more virtually connected team now – we hone our technical acumen, creativity, and team spirit over Microsoft Teams! We still have those debates and crazy discussions. Nothing much has changed, and we are delivering our best from wherever we are.

Shripriya: Why does the industry feel the need for Android?

Rahul: That is a good question. If we take a sneak peek into industry trends, we’ll see that major OEMs are already collaborating with Google.

So, what magic does Android really bring? You can explain it in many ways. First, Android is one ecosystem that brings almost a million plus applications. Second, Android is completely open source. You can modify anything and everything in Android depending on your needs. Third, Android has the world’s largest developer community. These highlights make Android the preferred operating system for automotive.

Another trend to note is that most auto manufacturers have shrunk their product development timelines from 48 months to well under two years. Android enables rapid product development – something the industry needs.

Binoy: Success of the platform also depends on how efficiently you are able to bring in the best possible user experience, and how attractive is the platform for the developer community. Android fits the bill perfectly.

Shripriya: What are some of the compelling future use cases that your team is developing?

Rahul: There are so many consumer-centric and innovative use cases we are working on. I can talk at length. We are focusing a lot on virtual reality (VR). Voice is our top priority. Screens are getting bigger but hands are not. Therefore, voice takes the center stage when creating the best possible in-car experience.

We are focusing on personalization too. Today, the consumer wants to buy a car with a pinch of personalized features. In the near future, seating and steering wheel position, and ambient lighting based on user profile, will become a norm.

Have you heard about “continue where you left off”? It is jargon mainly used in the smartphone and the tablet industry. You could be reading a book on your mobile phone, then switch to the same page of the same book on your tablet. Can we create the same experience with your in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) or rear seat entertainment (RSE)? We are working on some of these features, and you will soon be seeing them in a car around you.

We talk about context awareness. SoLoMo is another technology or jargon used in the smartphone industry. Think about this scenario: Your car tells you there is a shop that is giving you a discount based on your current location. The car further assists by navigating you to the shop. How cool would that experience be? We are bringing together simultaneous localization and mapping, advertisements, gaming and much more. You open up a large number of different use cases when you integrate the right operating system (OS) with the right hardware and feature set. This is going to be the next are of explosive growth.

We are also integrating our infotainment solutions with the internet of things (IoT), and it is catching on fast. We have had many lengthy discussions about teaming up with third-party technology solutions and enabling sensors on the vehicle steering. Your car will be able to detect your health status and, if you are not feeling well, will book a doctor’s appointment for you while you drive. By the time, you reach your office, your medications are on their way. The future is limitless!

Binoy: Adding to what Rahul highlighted, we are also working on multi-display solutions. These displays can be driven by a single Android system. Currently, most of the systems we are developing are based on Android P. Android P has a limitation though – two displays cannot run two different applications.

However, in Android 10, there is a feature called multiple launcher, multi-resume. It can independently operate two applications in two displays. In this way, Google supports the use cases of the automotive industry.

At CES 2020, we displayed a solution with five displays – instrument cluster, passenger display, center information display and two rear-seat entertainment displays. All these were driven by a single Android operating system.

Shripriya: Why user experience (UX) is so important?

Binoy: Consumers don’t just want to buy a car, they want “their car” with something special in it. In various mobile devices, such as those from Samsung or Oppo, the user interface (UI) is pretty similar. However, when it comes to automotive, the HMI or UI is a big branding factor for the automakers. In fact, it defines their DNA. Most automakers want to bring in a differentiating UI, and they want to ensure that the UI is updated frequently during the vehicle lifecycle.

Rahul: Irrespective of the life cycle, we can provide fresh content to the user. For example, on Christmas Eve, you can color your entire user experience in red, and on all the other days, you can make it black.

Rahul Singh has extensive experience in designing and developing immersive experiences on mobile, connected digital products like IoT, voice over internet protocol (VOIP), point of sale (POS) and automotive infotainment. Currently he is a software developer, reviewer, tester, principal architect and the product manager for Android platform core software development at Visteon.

Binoy M.V. is an experienced Technical Professional in human-machine interface (HMI) and graphics with 17 years of experience working in the embedded industry. He has experience developing embedded products such as mobile devices, digital TVs, automotive infotainment and instrument clusters. He has been a key player in HMI and graphics for Visteon platforms including Einstein 2, 2.5 and 3, OpenAir I1.1, Phoenix 1.0 and now Android.

Returning to Work in the New COVID-19 World

By Amanda Bishop, head of Visteon’s Coronavirus Task Force

This past New Year’s Eve, as I thought about my hopes for 2020, the words “social distancing,” “quarantine” and “flattening the curve” never once entered my mind. Then, in February, I was invited to a late-afternoon meeting where all of that changed.

Over the past two months, the word “coronavirus,” or COVID-19, has changed every aspect of my life – the way I work, how I interact with my friends and colleagues, and how (or if) I’m allowed to leave my house. It is part of almost every conversation with every person I know.

My life went from rushing my family out the door daily to trying to find quiet places for everyone to work and learn. My two girls are now very proficient in online Zoom classes, and sneak in way too much Minecraft and TV time as they long to play with their friends. They know mom is always on calls discussing coronavirus, given my daily meetings with our global teams to help keep our executive committee updated on our response and progress. 

I lead Visteon’s Coronavirus Task Force, which is a group of tremendous professionals from each of our global facilities. This team works with speed and diligence as we race to respond to the rapid spread of the virus in almost every country where we operate. Within days, we pivoted most of our professional workforce to a work-from-home model, and made decisive decisions regarding our manufacturing operations – all as local conditions were constantly changing around them. A job very well done.

We can all expect a safe but very different workplace once on-site operations resume. Our task force has worked relentlessly to develop Visteon’s Global COVID-19 Return-to-Work Protocol, aligned with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations and other regional guidelines. Our return-to-work protocols ensure consistent hygiene practices and new social-distancing requirements to minimize person-to-person contact. Changes in personal health assessments, required personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning protocols will help us with a safe transition. Because each facility is unique, additional site-specific return-to-work plans are being implemented to ensure compliance with local regulations and practices.

As we adjust to reengaging with friends and colleagues, it is critical that we are sensitive to the individual concerns of employees wanting to protect themselves. Leaders at all levels of our organization will guide their teams through these new working conditions and lead by example to help safeguard our 11,000 employees. 

In the spirit of collaboration, and for the greater good of society, we are publicly sharing Visteon’s Global COVID-19 Return-to-Work Protocol with our customers, suppliers, partners and others in the industry so everybody can benefit from our learning.

My hope is that when my girls remember the pandemic of 2020, they will not recall the disappointment of missed parties, my panic when the internet went down, or having to eat at home far too many days in a row.  I hope they realize instead that for a short time in history, the entire world came together to fight a common enemy, COVID-19, and that the collective sacrifices of so many truly helped “flatten the curve” and save precious lives. 

Customizing Your Vehicle Takes on New Meaning

Jan. 8, 2020

By: Visteon Corporation

In this day and age, users can craft and customize their own digital experience in almost every consumer electronics offering on the market. They can update their phone backgrounds and app configurations. They can customize their tablets and laptops. There is even a TV on the market that can look like a painting on your wall while it’s not in use, and if the user gets tired of that painting, they choose another image!

Why hasn’t the trend of digital customization carried over more fully to vehicles? That’s what Visteon’s design team was wondering too – so they challenged themselves to solve this nagging question.

They more than met the challenge.

The highly skilled Visteon design team is unveiling a customizable Graphical User Interface (GUI) at CES 2020. This revolutionary concept will allow the consumer to choose what they want their instrument cluster and infotainment systems to look like in their future vehicles.

From the shape of the gauges to the color scheme and contents, the consumer will finally be at the wheel of many of their vehicle’s digital interfaces.

Not only does this concept appeal to the driver, but also to automakers around the world. The market has already seen an increased demand for customizable adaptations in drive modes and regional considerations.

Visteon’s programmable user interface (UI) approach allows for the adaptation of the UI through a process, known as parametrization, and programming, rather than your standard asset-based “skin” development. This enables dynamic changes during development, allowing automakers to craft unique options for the users as a starting point, while allowing the end-consumer to have the autonomy to customize their own experience.

“We are very excited to finally share this innovation with the world at CES 2020,” commented Chris Gattis, industrial design leader for Visteon. “Those who visit Visteon’s booth will be able to test it out themselves with our interactive HMI station. Our guests will be able to design and customize their in-vehicle digital experience for the first time.”

“Besides the advantage to the user, we are eager to show automakers the benefits to their business,” Gattis added. “They will be able to gain valuable customer preference information and reduce the time and effort needed to develop additional assets for mid-cycle adjustments.”

Visteon customers and other interested stakeholders can request an appointment to experience the HMI station and see how Visteon is driving the cockpit revolution at CES 2020 in Central Plaza site 13. Learn more about what Visteon is showing by following us on social media.