Las Vegas, USA – 8 January 2018. Luxoft, a global IT service provider, has announced that it will exhibit a new in-vehicle translator feature co-developed with Ford at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada from Tuesday, January 9 to Friday, January 12. Luxoft’s demonstrations will be available at the Luxoft Suite on Floor 30, Room 103 in the Venetian Hotel

The new translator feature is designed for commercial vehicle services, like ride sharing, to allow a passenger and driver who do not speak the same language to communicate. The system is powered by a SmartDeviceLink (SDL) enabled in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system. SmartDeviceLink technology is based on Ford’s contribution of its SYNC AppLink™ software to the open source community in 2013.

The SDL translator feature uses cloud-based translation services, and does not require passengers to preload an app in their smartphones. Instead, the driver of the commercial vehicle will have downloaded the SDL-enabled app on his or her phone, and can start the system in the vehicle when a passenger enters the ride-sharing car.

“Being able to smoothly control and interact with an in-vehicle infotainment system is now an integral part of the driving and riding experience,” said Alwin Bakkenes, Managing Director of Luxoft Automotive. “A lot of hype around in-vehicle entertainment has revolved around installing new gadgets into cars, but some of these are likely to only add more distractions for drivers. In fact, being able to implement mobile device apps into cars through SDL platforms will not only be more relevant for drivers - it will also be safer.”

“What’s unique about this application of SDL technology is that it enhances the digital experience in the car for the passenger, as well as the driver,” said Oleg Gusikhin, Technical Leader of Advanced Connectivity Services and Mobility Applications at Ford. “This feature could help make the ride-sharing experience more enjoyable by aiding the communication between passenger and driver.”

SDL is an open source POSIX-compliant technology platform that allows communication between smartphone applications and in-vehicle software. The SmartDeviceLink Consortium (SDLC) was established in January 2017 as a non-profit organisation to manage open source software for smartphone app development for vehicles and drives an industry standard for in-vehicle apps. Luxoft is a member of SDLC and is participating as a technological partner.

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About Luxoft

Luxoft (NYSE:LXFT) is a global IT service provider of innovative technology solutions that delivers measurable business outcomes to multinational companies. Its offerings encompass strategic consulting, custom software development services, and digital solution engineering. Luxoft enables companies to compete by leveraging its multi-industry expertise in the financial services, automotive, communications, and healthcare & life sciences sectors. Its managed delivery model is underpinned by a highly-educated workforce, allowing the Company to continuously innovate upwards on the technology stack to meet evolving digital challenges. Luxoft has more than 13,000 employees across 42 offices in 21 countries within five continents, with its operating headquarters office in Zug, Switzerland.