For the first time, Continental has won an order to supply the commercial vehicle sector with telematics units that include high-performance computers. This means that the technology company now also offers a solution that can master the increasing requirements for connectivity, complexity and functional scope in trucks. Continental will use its considerable telematics know-how – already proven in the passenger car sector – to complete this order from a leading European commercial vehicle manufacturer. The technology company is one of the pioneers in the still-young market segment for high-performance computers. Last year, Continental was the first supplier to put a high-performance computer with software into serial production. The computer connects the electronics architecture, controls data streams, and enables over-the-air updates for VW’s all-electronic ID series. “Continental recognised the potential of high-performance computers at an early stage and used its vehicle electronics know-how, which has grown over many years, to create a foundation for innovative applications – now also for the commercial vehicle sector,” says Gilles Mabire, Head of the Commercial Vehicles and Services business unit at Continental.
In using high-performance computers, Continental is addressing the ever-increasing variety of functions and complexity in the connectivity of commercial vehicles. In the solution for trucks, the company combines the telematics unit with a high-performance computer, enabling the mapping of a large number of additional functions and different applications. Particularly in the efficiency-driven transportation industry, this entails competition-relevant applications ranging from the digitalisation of the logistics chain and remote diagnostics to secure over-the-air software updates. Continental’s solution can manage the large data streams generated in the vehicle much better than conventional computers. As a result, it not only creates opportunities for even more innovative functions and services, but also ensures a high degree of flexibility for the customer.