Mercedes-Benz Has Joined The Open Automotive Alliance
The Open Automotive Alliance (OAA) was formed in 2014 as a team of technology and automotive companies with the goal of integrating the Android operating system into automobiles. It started off with Google, CloudCar, Audi, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai and Nvidia and subsequently joined by the likes of Bentley, Chevrolet, Infiniti, Mazda, Nissan, Renault, Subaru, Volvo as well as Freescale, Clarion, Continental, Harman, Magneti Marelli and Panasonic.
The list of members now have grown to 64 with a recent check of the Alliance’s website showing Mercedes-Benz as its latest member. Before this, two major German car manufacturers were missing from the alliance – BMW and Mercedes-Benz (Porsche is also not listed but separate members of the VW group are members). Their reluctance to join the alliance is due to privacy issues as Google had asked for information on vehicle owners. The inclusion of Mercedes-Benz into the OAA means the parties have settled on an agreement pertaining to information-sharing.
Interestingly, Mercedes-Benz has partnered with Apple to have its CarPlay system in selected Mercedes-Benz models for the US. Joining the OAA means that CarPlay will eventually be left out in favor of Android Auto. Mercedes-Benz (or rather Daimler AG) is also part of the consortium of automakers which bought Nokia’s HERE mapping system, together with Audi and BMW. How this will play out remains to be seen as Google will most likely want to push its own Maps and Waze apps to be incorporated into Android Auto.
