According to the Connected Car Consortium (CCC), people are using their smartphone apps and services 80 percent of the time. The other 20 percent when they are not using them is when they are driving.

The CCC, which is made up of more than 80 percent of the world’s automakers including BMW, Fiat, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, and Volkswagen, has created a global standard for smartphone and in-vehicle connectivity, called MirrorLink. The technology replicates a smartphone screen on an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system’s screen. How this is eventually done depends on the individual automaker.(Source: MirrorLink.com)

A device interoperability standard that offers safe and seamless integration between a smartphone and in-vehicle infotainment system, MirrorLink can be customized to fit the overall look and design of each vehicle. Mobile developers can also design apps for IVI systems without having to learn an entirely new platform, but the the infotainment sytem must be MirroLink-compliant. The smartphone must also be installed with the software which can be downloaded.

MirrorLink transforms smartphones into automotive application platforms where apps are hosted and run on the smartphone, while drivers and passengers interact with them through steering wheel controls, dashboard buttons, and touchscreens of their car’s IVI system.(Source: Toyota Motor)

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