Making Automotive SoCs More Competitive with Faster Android Cycles

Driving efficiency across the Android lifecycle

A global semiconductor leader needed to modernize Android support for its automotive SoC product line. Long development cycles, complex compliance requirements, and rising OEM expectations demanded a specialized engineering partner. 

GlobalLogic became the sole provider of Android Board Support Packages (BSPs) for the client’s Gen3 SoC family, delivering full-cycle support from Android 6 to Android 11, slashing BSP update time by 50%, and achieving near-perfect compliance with Google’s certification tests. Our support helped OEMs adopt the latest Android platforms in next-gen cockpit systems faster, and with higher reliability.

Challenge

The client faced growing complexity in maintaining Android platforms across its automotive SoCs:

• Lengthy BSP Update Cycles: Up to 12 months between Android version releases slowed OEM development.
  
• Google Compliance Pressure: Delivering BSPs that met evolving CTS/VTS/STS requirements was a persistent challenge.
  
• Scaling Support Across SoCs: Diverse platforms required deep Android and embedded expertise.
  
• OEM Integration Needs: Automotive customers needed direct support to bring BSPs into IVI and Digital Cockpit solutions.
  

To stay competitive, the client needed a trusted partner with deep domain experience and the ability to scale delivery and support.

Value Created

GlobalLogic became the client’s exclusive engineering partner for Android BSP development across its Gen3 SoC product line. With deep expertise in embedded systems, AOSP, and Linux-based platforms, the team delivered BSPs optimized for real-world automotive applications, ensuring compliance with stringent performance and safety requirements.

Rather than operating as a transactional vendor, GlobalLogic integrated closely with the client’s engineering and support teams, taking full ownership of Android version upgrades from Android 6 through Android 11. This partnership also extended to post-release support, with GlobalLogic providing Level 2 and Level 3 technical assistance to global automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers through the client’s European operations.

Years of prior collaboration on SoC and MCU platforms gave GlobalLogic a head start, enabling rapid ramp-up, streamlined integration, and consistently high delivery quality. Consolidating BSP development and support under a single, specialized partner empowered the client to gain speed, technical precision, and cost efficiency, directly strengthening their competitive position in the automotive market.

Impact

GlobalLogic’s engineering leadership delivered real-world results:

• 50% Faster Update Cycles: Reduced Android BSP delivery time from 12 months to 6 months.
  
• 99.9% Google Test Compliance: Achieved near-perfect CTS, VTS, and STS pass rates across Android versions.
  
• Better OEM Adoption: Faster, more reliable BSPs made the client’s SoCs more appealing to automotive OEMs.
  
• Sustained Global Support: Ongoing L2/L3 customer assistance in partnership with the client’s European division since 2018.
  

The result: a more agile Android platform lifecycle and stronger positioning in the competitive automotive silicon market.

GlobalLogic halved Android update time and delivered 99.9% compliance, making the client’s SoCs more OEM-ready.