RealVNC Limited, the original developer and leading provider of VNC TM remote access and control software, and MCCI Corporation, the inventor of the industry standard USB NCM protocol for high-speed networking over USB,  today announced that RealVNC has selected MCCI as their preferred supplier of NCM class drivers for use with RealVNC's VNC TM Automotive products.

VNC Automotive is a collection of software modules that allow automotive head units and other consumer electronic products to incorporate comprehensive remote access and remote control capabilities for integrating smart phones with in-vehicle information and entertainment systems.

“Users are able to access their mobile content, such as navigation applications, traffic updates, music libraries and internet radio stations from the vehicle’s main display unit,” said Tom Blackie, VP Mobile at RealVNC. “The mobile device can be directly accessed and controlled from the vehicle’s head unit touch screen, bezel keys, steering wheel switches and by voice command, ensuring content can be accessed safely and simply. VNC Automotive gives OEMs a single common solution with access to the widest coverage of mobile devices, including many existing legacy devices already in use with end users.”

VNC Automotive is commonly used to connect smart phones to cars using USB. According to Terry Moore, CEO of MCCI, “USB provides an inexpensive, secure and high-throughput data connection, and can charge the phone while the user is accessing their mobile content. However, USB implementation is not as simple as it seems, and the user’s experience is frequently limited by the quality of the underlying USB implementation.”

Advanced phone/car connectivity is built using existing industry standards. MirrorLink TM (from the Car Connectivity Consortium) uses the VNC protocol and NCM over USB to integrate the phone with the car.  Apple's iPod OUT performs similar functions in a way that is optimized for Apple's products.

NCM is the unifying technology that allows modern protocols to run over USB without tailoring the protocols specifically for USB. NCM bridges between Ethernet-style datagram traffic and native USB. It is optimized for moving IP traffic between embedded systems at very high speeds. “We have found that MCCI’s implementations of NCM are consistently of the highest quality, and deliver the highest throughput for the user’s mobile content,” said Blackie. “As the key contributors and editors of the NCM specification, they know how to translate the requirements of the specification into fast, effective implementations. Our customers typically see a 5x increase in overall system throughput, especially for video content. Their years of experience supporting phone and platform OEMs in Japan, Korea, and Europe translate directly into higher quality code, more stable implementations, and better support for our VNC Automotive customers. Their cross-platform development strategy aligns very closely with the platforms we support.”

“Like RealVNC, MCCI specializes in delivering OEM software,” noted Moore. “MCCI supports all the same operating systems and target CPU architectures supported by RealVNC. We both support Linux, Android, Windows (XP, Automotive, CE), QNX, microITRON, and T-Kernel; running on ARM, x86, MIPS, and SH architectures from a variety of SoC vendors.”

“Automotive electronics makers often underestimate the complexity of providing a consumer-grade solution,” said Blackie. “They may try to do the higher level protocols themselves at first, but soon discover that VNC Automotive is easier and allows them to get to market more quickly. The critical nature of the USB connection is also often overlooked. The NCM specification is only 36 pages long, so appears deceptively easy to implement. We’ve had many customers come close to failing, based solely on the poor quality of the USB connection. Now, because of this partnership, they can easily get access to an integrated, pre-tested solution that meets international market needs, and interoperates with the widest possible range of smart phones.”

About RealVNC

RealVNC’s software is used by many hundreds of millions of people worldwide in every sector of industry, government and education. VNC is the original remote access software with a wide range of applications. The technology supports an unrivalled mix of desktop and mobile platforms and can be embedded in third-party products with a commercial license. www.realvnc.com

VNC is a registered trademark of RealVNC Ltd. in the U.S. and in other countries.

MirrorLink Certified TM, the Design Only TM Certification Logo, MirrorLink TM and the MirrorLink TM Logo are certification marks and trademarks of the Car Connectivity Consortium LLC. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

About MCCI  

MCCI is a leading developer of embedded USB software for the high-volume personal computer and portable device markets. Customers include some of the world’s biggest brands in telecom, wireless, embedded and consumer devices including Qualcomm, Intel, Apple and Sony. Nearly one billion products have been delivered with MCCI technology. MCCI experts are actively involved in worldwide Technical Standards activities. A privately held corporation, MCCI has its headquarters in Ithaca, NY, with additional offices in New York City, India, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Visit MCCI on www.mcci.com, Facebook and Twitter.