Mazda Motor Corporation Invests in Open Technology Development with Linux Foundation Gold Membership

 LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit – March 29, 2016 –The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today is announcingMazda Motor Corporation is becoming a  Gold member of The Linux Foundation to help advance connected car technology for the Internet of Things (IoT). Mazda is a leading global auto manufacturer, driving innovation and development for car technology.

Nearly one in five vehicles on the road will have some form of wireless network connection by 2020, amounting to more than 250 million connected vehicles worldwide (Gartner,Predicts 2015: The Internet of Things). Automakers face numerous challenges as they develop connected car technology, including shifting safety standards, security concerns and long manufacturing cycles. By leveraging an open source software framework, automakers, suppliers and developers can better collaborate to develop connected car applications and accelerate time-to-market for consumers. 

As a Linux Foundation member, Mazda will contribute to the growing open source software stack for the connected car, improving the relationship between vehicles and people through the development of its new-generation car connectivity system. The company also recently became a member ofAutomotive Grade Linux, a Linux Foundation project.

“Mazda’s decision to join The Linux Foundation represents a significant investment toward open source in connected car and IoT technologies,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director, The Linux Foundation. “Mazda brings nearly 100 years of leadership in the automotive industry with a strong reputation in redefining car technology for consumers. We welcome their increasing investment and contributions.”

“We believe that joining The Linux Foundation is critical to advance innovation in the automotive industry open source and collaborative development give us what we need to push the technology envelope across the industry,” said Masashi Yamasaki, deputy general manager of Integrated Control System Development Division for Mazda Motor Corporation. “We are deeply committed to the advancement of open source technology in the automotive industry.”

Gold membership is the second-highest membership tier at The Linux Foundation and demonstrates a significant commitment and investment in open source. Gold members of The Linux Foundation include Cisco, Citrix, eBay, Electronics and Telecommunications Institute (ETRI), Facebook, Google, Hitachi, NetApp, Panasonic, PLUMgrid, Renesas, SR Tech Labs, SUSE, Symantec, Toshiba, Toyota and Verizon Terremark. The full roster of The Linux Foundation’s members can be accessed here: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/about/members.

About The Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

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