Automotive Software Development: Interview with Jill Britton

Perforce Software and Automotive IQ partnered together to provide a deep-dive into the current state of automotive software development.

Read below Automotive IQ’s latest interview with Jill Britton, Director Of Compliance at Perforce Software.

Interview

Q: With the increase in complexity of systems and technologies, as seen in Connected Vehicles and Autonomous Vehicles, what is the greatest threat to automotive software today? In contrast, where are the opportunities?

Jill

The greatest threat is the increase of security risks. As connectivity both outside and within the vehicle becomes more complex, the possibility of a security breach, which may affect safety, increases.

The opportunities in automotive software are tremendous. New technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence are bringing increased innovation. New contributors to the automotive space are introducing ideas and techniques from other areas.

Q: The report details the shifts in responses since the 2021 State of Automotive Report. What is one of the more prominent shifts and what does this indicate?

Jill

The most prominent shift is the number of people working on electric and/or autonomous vehicles. This shows that the industry is moving away from the traditional ways and encompassing environmentally friendly technologies. It also shows that the automotive industry continues to be innovative.

Q: How can Automotive Software professionals make use of this report today?

Jill

The report gives a clear picture of what is important to automotive software professionals. It also shows the areas of concern, so that in the future, these can be addressed – for example, there are indications that there is a perception that testing is not sufficient and complying to standards is difficult.

The report shows that automotive software professionals are aware of the issues surrounding security and see that training is necessary to address these concerns.

Q: What key advice can you give to automakers/automotive software professionals following the publishing of this report?

Jill

Safety is still the most important aspect of automotive software with security becoming an increasing concern.  All automotive software professionals should keep both safety and security at the forefront of their development processes.

This can be achieved by following functional standards such as ISO 26262 and ISO 21434 and ensuring that all code complies with industry standard coding guidelines.

Download your copy of the 2022 State of Automotive Software Development Report to gather intel from nearly 600 international automotive software developers and to read about the main concerns in automotive software and technology development, the impact of AVs, semi-AVs, connected and electric vehicles. You’ll also learn how the industry is keeping up with the emerging automotive trends.