Automotive computer chip maker NXP rolls out new platform

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - NXP Semiconductors NV, the biggest maker of computer chips for cars, on Thursday said it had introduced a new platform that will simplify and speed up software development for its customers.

The platform, which integrates software from partner companies and a new line of advanced NXP chips, makes it possible to standardize software development for many of the ever-growing number of electronics systems used in cars.

NXP's customers include major carmakers and their primary or Tier-1 suppliers, with the new platform used for power management, data processing and networking throughout the car. It will not be used for advanced driver assistance systems or main screen displays.

"Our role is very much to stay in the background and the glory is for the OEMs", said Henri Ardevol, general manager of automotive at NXP, referring to customers.

Software partners on the platform include "the movers and shakers ... of the automotive industry as it relates to the intermediate software stack...which is in between the operating system and the actual application," he said.

Those include Accenture, ArcherMind, Blackberry QNX, Elektrobit, ETAS, Green Hills Software, Sonatus, Synopsys, TTTech Auto, Vector Informatik GmbH, and Wind River.

He said the measures of the platform's success would be whether it reduces software development time, and adoption.

NXP, with a market capitalization of $63 billion, is headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands and listed on the Nasdaq. The new platform's name is S32 CoreRide.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)