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Honda to Team up with Toyota and Nissan on Electronics Software Standardization

JASPAR Could Work with Europes AOSA toward Global Standards

Last month Toyota and Nissan announced a cooperative effort for the development of standardized electronics software, meant to reduce costs on car componentry that is becoming more expensive to develop year after year (see automotive news archive for Sep 13, 2004: Toyota and Nissan Join Forces to Standardize Automotive Electronic Software).

This makes a great deal of sense being that automakers only show their differences when it comes to electronic interfaces, buttons, switches and knobs,

Honda looks ready to join the non-profit entity dubbed JASPAR (Japan Automotive Software Platform and Architecture) in an effort to help standardized electronics software. (Photo: American Honda)

not the software behind them.

For this reason number three Honda will most likely decide to cooperate with Japans number one and two automakers, Toyota and Nissan, in the non-profit entity dubbed JASPAR (Japan Automotive Software Platform and Architecture). JASPAR was initially set up earlier last month by two Toyota group companies.

Japanese companies spend more than 100 billion yen (USD $913 million) per year developing automotive-related software. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.) align="justify">Is the joint venture only limited to Toyota, Nissan and Honda, if it joins? Not at all. JASPAR continues to court participation from more car makers and automotive electronics manufacturers in expectation of setting up an international automotive software standard.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry that Japanese companies spend more than 100 billion yen (USD $903 million) per year developing automotive-related software. And it isnt going to get any cheaper, with some analysts estimating costs escalating to 1 trillion yen (USD

Standardized software will reduce the competitive edge for some automakers, but will improve overall electronics reliability across the board. (Photo: American Honda)

$9.1 billion) by 2014, according to the daily newspaper.

If Honda joins the JASPAR consortium it will without doubt leverage support, helping to lure in additional automakers and auto industry suppliers. If so, the development of common standards will accelerate, making it possible for JASPAR to attract the cooperation of Automotive Open System Architecture (AOSA), Europes collaborative counterpart, in an attempt to set global standards in automotive electronics software.

Developing a single standard will help automakers improve electronics reliability, reducing the competitive edge some automakers have over others in this critical area, but over the long haul allowing better electronics systems across the board, benefiting the consumer while reducing costs each manufacturer is forced to invest.

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