Technica Engineering, a pioneer in automotive ethernet and communication systems (Member of KPIT Group) and KPIT Technologies, a global leader in building mobility solutions for a cleaner, smarter, and safer world, announced the decision to open the full specification of SOME/IP (Scalable Service-Oriented Middleware over IP), a foundational communication standard for Automotive Ethernet in next-generation vehicles. This historic step is set to enable collaboration, unlocking broader innovation and accelerating software maturity across the mobility ecosystem.
SOME/IP, originally started by Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW), has become one of the most widely deployed middleware protocols for in-vehicle Ethernet communication, operating in more than 40 million vehicles worldwide. It enables large amounts of data to be transferred in a very secure manner into different ECUs, sensors, cameras, and cloud services in the vehicle over Automotive Ethernet. These capabilities are central to the progression of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), advanced driver assistance, and connected mobility.
Until now, the availability of SOME/IP had been closely tied to established automotive standards, limiting ease of access to developers. By making this specification openly available and free for everyone, Technica Engineering and KPIT are aiming to enable OEMs, suppliers, software developers and academic institutions to build, test and, innovate at scale. This will accelerate the deployment of software-defined vehicle features and promote co-development of new connected-mobility innovations.
With expanding applications across passenger, commercial and special-purpose vehicles, a fully open SOME/IP specification will promote greater safety, cybersecurity readiness, and operational efficiency. It will also ensure interoperability across diverse architectures, which is increasingly critical as mobility systems become more complex. Behind every connected and intelligent vehicle is a constant exchange of data between cameras, sensors and computing systems. SOME/IP plays a critical role in enabling this real-time communication backbone - silently supporting the complex functions that define modern mobility.