HARMAN and Ferrari have announced a partnership focused on digital cockpit development across the Italian automaker’s lineup via HARMAN’s Ready Upgrade. Billed as a multi-year, multi-faceted partnership, Ferrari will leverage Ready Upgrade hardware and software to initiate updates inside the cabin for its customers. The partnership extends to the racetrack, as HARMAN Automotive becomes the exclusive In-Cabin Experience Team partner of Scuderia Ferrari, beginning with the 2023 Formula 1 season.
Personalized Experiences
As described by HARMAN, the partnership with Ferrari is a significant step as the company looks to become a leading automotive electronics supplier known for best-in-class in-cabin experiences. HARMAN likened Ready Upgrade to a smartphone and said it would transform vehicles into “modern electric devices” that can be updated and personalized anytime. Ready Upgrade features three families of production-grade Cockpit Domain Controllers, state-of-the-art software, an array of pre-integrated features, and a full suite of low-code software development tools for OEMs.
“HARMAN Automotive and Ferrari share an expertise, tenacity, and innovation mindset tailor-made for activating a new era of driving,” said Christian Sobottka, President of HARMAN Automotive. “I have no doubt this combination will deliver experiences that will excite consumers and bring our value proposition of ‘Consumer Experiences. Automotive Grade.’ to life – on the track and on the road.”
Ready Upgrade Benefits for Ferrari
As described by Ferrari, Ready Upgrade adapts to their vehicle networks without investing in extensive software development efforts. Ferrari plans to use Ready Upgrade to create differentiated and signature in-cabin experiences for drivers and passengers. News of the partnership with HARMAN follows on the heels of Ferrari announcing its first-ever crossover in late 2022.
“Our partnership brings together two brands celebrated for excellence and for pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation,” said Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari. “We look forward to working with HARMAN to extend our in-cabin experience advantage and deliver to our customers a drive like no other.”
