Iveco launches remote software updates
Modern trucks are just like computers; they need software updates. In the case of the trucks, this can require a trip to the workshop – which means downtime, the curse of any transport operator. Iveco has addressed this problem with the launch of what it’s calling the Over the Air Update. This all-new service offering will be launched in South Africa in January 2022.
Why software updates?
But why are all these software updates necessary? An excellent McKinsey & Company article entitled Rethinking car software and electronics architecture explains that vehicles are experiencing a transition from being hardware-driven machines to becoming software-driven electronic devices.
“The engine was the technology and engineering core of the 20th-century automobile. Today, software, large computing power, and advanced sensors increasingly step into that role; they enable most modern innovations, from efficiency to connectivity to autonomous driving to electrification and new mobility solutions.
“However, as the importance of electronics and software has grown, so has complexity. Take the exploding number of software lines of code (SLOC) contained in modern cars as an example. In 2010, some vehicles had about ten million SLOC; by 2016, this expanded by a factor of 15, to roughly 150 million lines. Snowballing complexity is causing significant software-related quality issues, as evidenced by millions of recent vehicle recalls,” the writers point out.
And yet another related issue is that of software updates. They are necessary for an abundance of reasons – anything and everything from the truck manufacturer wishing to improve the functionality, durability or efficiency of one or more vehicle systems to the truck maker realising that a correction is needed to factory-installed software after the vehicle was built. And, until fairly recently, this always meant taking your truck into the workshop – which is the very last thing that any transport manager ever wants to do (because, as we all know, if the wheels aren’t turning, the truck isn’t generating revenue).
Enter Iveco’s Over the Air Update
Mindful of the fact that transport managers want to keep those wheels turning, Iveco is extending its Iveco On offering of connectivity-enabled services with the innovative Iveco Over the Air Update feature. It enables customers to update their vehicles’ software remotely, without having to stop at a workshop – a practical, time-saving solution that ensures the vehicle is always up to date, protected and in performing optimally. The feature is available on all Daily and Iveco S-Way vehicles fitted with a Connectivity Box. (We will get the new S-Way in South Africa in the first quarter of 2022.)
The Iveco Over the Air Update is extremely easy to use and makes it possible to update the vehicle’s software quickly, at the driver’s and fleet manager’s convenience, without having to visit the workshop. It can be done by the customer anywhere, at any time. It only takes a few minutes and requires only that the vehicle is parked in a safe place (you cannot do it while driving). This means the driver can install the update whenever it is convenient, during a rest stop on a trip or during a break at the depot, wasting no time.
Thomas Hilse, Iveco Brand President, says the company is constantly looking at ways to make drivers’ and fleet managers’ lives easier and help them to work more efficiently. “The new Iveco Over the Air Update makes it very easy to update the vehicles’ software with new improvements, applications and functionality. Our customers can ensure their vehicles are always up to date, protected, and performing at their best without wasting any time at the workshop,” he points out.
Simple to use
To utilise the Iveco Over the Air Update features, customers just need to ensure that their Daily or S-Way is equipped with a Connectivity Box and that they are an Iveco On registered user with an account linked to their vehicle. When they receive a notification that an update is available and their vehicle is parked safely, they can download and install it using the infotainment system or the Easy Way mobile app.
By selecting the Iveco Over the Air Update button on the infotainment system or the icon on the app, the system will look for the update and begin the procedure. It is as simple as updating a mobile device. The new feature will also soon be available on the Business Up app for the Daily range.
