Mercedes Mimics Microsoft

Mercedes-Benz developed an in-house computer operating system to join an all-new vehicle platform architecture to enhance automated driving, OTA updates and other features.

Mercedes-Benz revealed in late February that it is developing its own computer operating system, dubbed MB.OS, which it said will be standardized across the company's entire model portfolio when deployment begins “mid-decade” in concert with the introduction of the equally new Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) vehicle platform. The MB.OS will have full access to all vehicle domains, including infotainment, automated driving, body and comfort, vehicle dynamics and battery charging.

Based on a chip-to-cloud architecture, the company asserted MB.OS “is designed to connect the major aspects of the company's value chain, including development, production, omni-channel commerce and services - effectively making it an operating system for the entire Mercedes-Benz business.” The MB.OS architecture is completely updateable to enable rapid product upgrades and is “deliberately open for selected partners,” the company said. It also discreetly added that the new system is planned to “enhance customer lifetime value” by facilitating customer purchases such as content, services and vehicle functionalities. That strategy has been shown by competing automakers to enable certain vehicle features, for example, on a subscription-type basis.