Panasonic snaps up remaining OpenSynergy stock
Panasonic has acquired all outstanding shares in automotive technology firm OpenSynergy, and plans to make the German company a full subsidiary in the coming months.
On Tuesday, the tech giant said automotive technology is likely to be a "high growth" area in the future, and inventions including driver support systems, the use of sensors and automatic braking are now areas to develop as automakers and tech giants alike turn to autonomous driving as a way to reduce traffic accident rates.
Berlin-based OpenSynergy specializes in automotive software for in-car cockpit solutions. The company creates modular software systems for cockpit control, connectivity, head units and driver assistance technology. In addition, OpenSynergy works with virtualization and open-source software.
If Panasonic wishes to tap into the embedded automotive software and autonomous driving market, OpenSynergy's portfolio will be a strong starting point. However, despite the transfer of ownership, OpenSynergy will remain operating as an independent firm.
"OpenSynergy's software technologies enable multiple different operating systems to be integrated into one system," Panasonic says. "These technologies make it possible to realize a next-generation cockpit system where multimedia and driver support functions are integrated."
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Stefaan Sonck Thiebaut, the co-CEO of OpenSynergy, commented:
"OpenSynergy's mission has been to bring innovative software solutions to the automotive industry and to enable the development of the next generation of highly integrated vehicle systems, embracing the specific safety and security challenges of the vehicle environment."
"Under its new ownership, OpenSynergy will keep serving the entire automotive ecosystem, Tier 1 suppliers and manufacturers," Rolf Morich, the other co-CEO, also added. "The synergies with Panasonic will enable us to increase our pace of growth and innovation, providing the best solutions to our customers."
This week, Panasonic announced the launch of a bug bounty program which will reward researchers for finding and reporting security holes in avionics; specifically, in-flight entertainment systems developed and sold by the company.