New webinar: Pimp your ride with FOTA

Okay, I'll admit it: That isn't the real title of the webinar. It's actually called "Keep Connected Cars Up to Date with FOTA (Firmware Over-the-Air) Technology," and it's for anyone building in-car infotainment or telematics systems.

If you use a device like the BlackBerry PlayBook, you're already familiar with the benefits of FOTA, which allows device makers to deliver new software features or improvements, with little or no effort on the part of the end-user. From the user's point of view, the device simply works better or offers shiny new features.

In the automotive domain, FOTA provides a critical role in avoiding obsolescence. An in-car infotainment system might be super cool today, but can become super outdated in just 2 or 3 years. Imagine, for instance, if your infotainment system had smartphone connectivity, but could only talk to smartphones that shipped before 2010. FOTA, along with good system design, offers a way to avoid this problem and to keep infotainment systems fresh with new features and services — and, not incidentally, to keep car owners happy about their purchase.

But enough from me. Better to learn about FOTA from the experts, including Yoram Berholtz from Red Bend Software (an industry leader in FOTA) and my inimitable colleague Andy Gryc. To that end, I invite you to register for the webinar; it just takes a few seconds:

Wednesday, February 8, 2012
2:00 p.m. EST
1 hour
Details and registration

And while you're at it, check out Andy's article on the Red Bend website, Fill the Tank, Check the Oil, and Update the Software.