With the age of autonomous vehicles just beyond the horizon, software is becoming just as important as the nuts and bolts of an vehicle.

Hong Seok-min, the CEO of Fescaro, which provides software solutions for future mobility, said "software-defined operation" is a key term in the automotive industry today and in the future.

"Without a doubt, the keyword (in the mobility industry) is the software-defined vehicle. Designs of existing internal combustion vehicles are centered on their hardware, which made it difficult for their functions to be changed once launched. But now we can control the main functions of a vehicle via software, and can improve such functions via updates (of software)," Hong said, elaborating on the idea of the software-defined operations in the field of the automotive industry at the Automotive Innovation Day 2024 in July.

He mentioned Tesla as one of the automakers that excels in such software-defined services, as the company consistently provides value for consumers via updates.

Hong said Tesla demonstrated that the true need of consumers is for their vehicles to always be cutting-edge. SDVs provide a new profit model for automakers to meet such a consumer need, he said.

SDVs require a corresponding change in the method of developing software, as the traditional way involves software development only in the mass-production stage.

Hong presented the software engineering methodology of DevOps -- a combination of software development and operations -- as a way of addressing such issue for SDVs. Integrating the development and operations processes allows for quick feedback and iterative improvement that feeds on one another in a cyclical way: from planning, coding, building, testing, release and deployment, operating and monitoring, back to the planning phase.

For this approach, Hong said the industry needs a new perception of vehicles.

"We must focus on problem-solving rather than just on technology. SDV allows for automakers to apply state-of-the-art technology on more mass-produced vehicles quicker and cheaper. ... These technologies can either be applied in full or in part, depending on the situation," he said. "What's more important than the technology is the problem that we are seeking to solve with such technology."

Another issue is the decoupling automakers, controller developers and the third parties. "Independence of each party allows for more flexibility and expandability of the software."

What is key, of course, is for the industry to recognize the substantial value of the software. Hong said the competitive edge of software for future mobility derives from the sustained maintenance of a vehicle, even more so than from the development phase.

He advised automakers to continually improve the quality of SDVs through constant development and maintenance, rather than to spend excessive amounts of resources before release.

Hong said the essence of a company's competitive edge lies in maximizing "the value which consumers recognize and are willing to pay the price for."

"Fescaro defines it as software-defined operation, which unifies the various operations throughout the vehicle lifecycle and throughout the entire value chain of the automotive industry. Through automated system, such method allows for easy tracking and analysis of the organic effects inflicted by the changes in software. An automaker can use the SDO solution to effectively deal with the complicated tasks, and can focus more on improving the quality of the vehicle," he said.

One such example of an SDO solution being applied successfully can be seen in Europe, in which automakers are required to comply with various regulations, including UN R155 on vehicular cybersecurity management and UN R156 on software updates. Fescaro developed an integrated management system that can minimize overlapping tasks in such environment, so companies are not bogged down by the extensive workload related to the regulations.

Hong explained that the essence of the integrated management system is real-time monitoring of the cybersecurity status during the actual operation of a vehicle, allowing developers to promptly respond to defects and security issues. The aforementioned DevOps system allows such feedback to feed into the development system, leading to augmentation of software and manufacturing of vehicles with updated functions.

Systematic management of a vehicle's software and history allows for the automakers to preemptively figure out potential effects of a software update.

Fescaro applied the SDO concept on electric vehicles chargers as well, as the prompt diagnosis of potential problems and solutions is crucial in such devices.

Fescaro has also come up with an integrated management system for software-defined chargers to remotely manage multiple chargers.

"The true value of the SDO can be seen when applied to tasks that involve multiple duties that are linked in a complex way, such as cybersecurity and software updates. An optimal system can allow for improvement in work efficiency, convenience in management, reduced costs and shortened development period. It can also provide basis in the race of SDVs with a proven method to consistently maintain quality even after mass production," Hong said.