A leap in the development of sophisticated in-vehicle connectivity solutions

Ixonos’ test laboratory has fulfilled the requirements defined by the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and is conditionally approved as a CCC Authorized Test Laboratory. Ixonos can help car and electronics manufacturers to accelerate the entry to market of their new MirrorLink-enabled products by assuring that they fulfil the strict criteria set by the CCC. For manufacturers interested in utilizing the momentum of the new MirrorLink technology, Ixonos functions as an enabler, delivering significant reductions in time to market and R&D costs. To consumers, MirrorLink conformance guarantees seamless compatibility of their chosen phone and car model with one another.

Ixonos’ experts have been working with MirrorLink™ technology for the past 2 years already, developing solutions for seamless connectivity between smart phones and in-vehicle infotainment systems. A member of the Car Connectivity Consortium since last June, Ixonos has become an integral contributor to the development of sophisticated in-vehicle connectivity solutions. “Being heavily involved in the consortium and in MirrorLink development as well as having state-of-the-art test laboratory facilities and competence for thorough SW, HW and mechanics testing means the CCC certification was a logical step for us,” says Damien De Maya, Manager, Customer Operations, Automotive & Home,
from Ixonos.

Ixonos’ role as a MirrorLink Authorized Test Laboratory (ATL) means it can officially test and certify that car and phone manufacturers’ products meet the requirements defined by the CCC. The clientele for MirrorLink conformance and IOP testing comprises the other Car Connectivity Consortium members, which include leading vehicle manufacturers as well as smartphone and consumer-electronics makers.

Currently, only two laboratories in the world have MirrorLink ATL status, and of those two, Ixonos is the only one offering software development services for smart phones and head units. At the moment, Ixonos is also the only MirrorLink test laboratory in Europe, while also working towards getting global accreditation for a network of test laboratories by joining forces with testing and type approval partner Nemko.

Ixonos has also utilized its vast experience with the MirrorLink technology to create a full range of MirrorLink-related products ready to deliver to customers interested in gaining faster market access with fully developed and compliant high-quality products. “Our MirrorLink product offering includes MirrorLink server & client software, software development and verification services, and all-encompassing user experience design. Device manufacturers across the world and across industries are showing increasing interest towards our MirrorLink offering and the first MirrorLink-certified customer products will be shipping early next year,” reveals Antti Aumo, head of Global Marketing at Ixonos.

Ixonos is also an optimal development partner for companies interested in creating their own in-vehicle services and connected devices from scratch, as Ixonos’ unique offering combines user experience design with top-of the-line online solutions and full device creation. “We can design and implement for our customers connected devices and services specifically designed for in-car use and guarantee that these are fully compatible with the new industry standards”, Antti points out.

For more information, please contact:

- Damien De Maya, Manager, Customer Operations, Automotive & Home, tel. +358 400 287 692,
damien.demaya@ixonos.com
- Antti Aumo, Vice President, Global Marketing, tel. +358 40 505 0477, antti.aumo@ixonos.com
- Timo Salminen, Director, Automotive & Home, tel. +358 40 745 6821, timo.salminen@ixonos.com

Links:
- Follow Ixonos on Twitter and YouTube
- Car Connectivity Consortium’s website

The Cloud Conference, Sweden’s most comprehensive, independent event on cost-efficient IT solutions, will be held for the fourth time on 1 December 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden.

At the event, Teppo Kuisma, Head of Online Solutions at Ixonos, will be delivering a speech with the topic of “Building Ixonos Elastic Cloud with Red Hat”. In the speech he will discuss how to cut project time with PaaS and why an integrator should have its own cloud. He will also share customer feedback on Ixonos and Red Hat’s joint cloud project.

Read up on the topic from a press release issued on 31.5.2011: “Ixonos launches Ixonos Elastic Cloud, the first Red Hat certified cloud in the Nordics”, or at the Ixonos Elastic Cloud product page.

More information about the event is available in Swedish on the event web site. >>

For more information, please contact:
Teppo Kuisma, VP, Online Solutions, tel. +358 50 581 4075, teppo.kuisma@ixonos.com

The Rugby Expo 2011 brings the business world of rugby under one roof, combining technical, creative and commercial development of the sport. The expo is held this year at Twickenham Stadium in London, on 23-24 November 2011 and offers networking and business opportunities from the world of rugby. The conference programme is designed to support both the technical and commercial development of the sport. It combines master class workshops and live exhibition to produce the ideal environment for learning the latest developments in the game and to meet the most influential people from all areas of the game and globe.

Ixonos will be there featuring latest technology showcases such as the mobile super-app for iPad and Android tablets. It is a companion to your favourite sport and club, and allows you to follow the game wherever you are and to engage with all the non-game day aspects of the sport. The app is built using an Ixonos patent pending interface. We will also be showcasing Ixonos’ TV Compass concept, a real-time, contextual, social and personal experience of tomorrow’s television.   

Ixonos representatives attending the event include Julian A D Harris, Creative Director and Studio Lead for the UK Design Studio; Diego Lago, Lead Creative Technologist, and Nigel Alexander, Sales Director EMEA, User Experience Design.  

More information about the event at Rugby Expo web site: http://www.rugbyexpo.com/

For more information, please contact:
Nigel Alexander, Sales Director, User Experience Design, +44 783 148 5081, nigel.alexander@ixonos.com

Sami Paihonen, VP, User Experience Design
Numerous times over the years, after attending one creative presentation or another by some well-known and respected design agency, I have found myself thinking “I liked what I saw and I agree with the reasoning behind the user interface (UI) concept… but there is so much missing”. This feeling has followed me over the years, repeating itself. Whilst design concepts can be creative when presented, having the responsibility to deliver them was not a very nice position to be in. I learned to understand that 80% of the work to make these design dreams come true was still missing.

I have thought about the “perfect” design agency many times over the years: what it would do differently, how it would make its products more ready, how it would actually push the boundaries – and execute that 80% that is still needed after any beautiful, well-crafted UI concept. The introduction of user experience (UX) didn’t actually help: 90% of any creative presentation by a design agency was, and still is, about UI. So eventually, random thoughts of learning from the best agencies in the world and combining those lessons into a more holistic view on user experience, providing greater value for companies doing services, devices or web sites, became a list of seven areas (The Magic 7) that define UX as I feel it should be. Not because it feels right for myself, but because it is right for the companies desperately seeking competitive advantage in a fierce business such as the mobile one.

Ixonos has entered the UX area from a new angle based on The Magic 7 UX thinking and we strongly believe that the real magic, even in UI, happens outside the screen. We also want to enter the UX area in a way where top talented people find themselves enjoying working for us and can develop into real specialists and change-makers in the UX domain. I am fascinated by our team already: individuals who can see the potential of our UX approach, combined with exceptional development forces, is a match that – simply put – is second to none.

Because Ixonos UX is present in everything we do, not even those of us working in the User Experience Design unit “own” it. We are champions in UI design, information architecture, visual design, design strategy, user research and demo creation, to name a few, but we still need those passionate developers, smart SW architects and creative back-end developers who can work with us to deliver that remaining 80% of the creative concept.

Ixonos will invest decisively into the UX area as an offering and an integral part of other Ixonos offerings as well as establish a truly global design agency born to make a difference. Our plan is not to become the biggest design agency out there – we simply want to be most innovative, creative and dependable UX agency there is. The roots of our company may be more on the development side than those of e.g. marketing or ad agencies, but we have turned this background into a strength. We are in the best possible position to deliver a very broad UX offering and get those projects done – in a true turnkey way.

We are very happy that so many companies have already found that our approach is on the mark and improves the success of their business. This motivates us even more and gives us confidence that our goals for UX are the right ones.

Simply because the best concepts are the realized concepts.

Welcome to follow our blog frequently. I hope you will find lots of exciting entries here from now on; our global design team will regularly publish articles on interesting topics. Stay tuned!

For more information, please contact:
Sami Paihonen, VP of User Experience Design, +358 50 502 1111, sami.paihonen@ixonos.com