(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/graphicnoi)

MirrorLink is the only OS and OEM-agnostic standard for car-smartphone connectivity and helps to empower consumers with new ways to link with their devices. The standard is maintained by the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) who hosted a three-day hackathon in Paris. 

The competition drew 21 teams of more than 90 developers who each battled it out to advance the connected-car and its capabilities. “In order to have a healthy connected-car ecosystem, it’s essential consumers have the highest possible variety of driver-aware apps,” said Alan Ewing, President and Executive Director of the CCC. 

Ewing continued: "The CCC is therefore committed to inspiring the world’s developers to unleash their creativity as they conceive the next generation of connected-car content. We thank all of the participants in the MirrorLink Hackathon and look forward to the next phase.” 

Four teams have now been selected as the 'Phase One' winners of the MirrorLink hackathon and each will receive €10,000 and an incubation package from BeMyApp. 

The four 'Phase One' winners are; 

• Adventure: Features interactive storytelling that uses voice recognition to stave off boredom behind the wheel 
• Drive Together: Makes driving in a convoy easier and offers a solution to the common frustrations of guests heading to a venue 
• Edgar: Connects drivers with their cars 
• RidZinGa: A fun, quiz-based app that uses voice recognition without compromising driver security 

Phase Two of the hackathon will now commence for further development with the incubation period concluding in September when the CCC will choose one final winner. 

The final winner is set to receive a further €10,000 as well as support from the CCC itself to officially launch the app via MirrorLink and benefit from the interoperability between a wide range of smartphones and cars. 

CCC is dedicated to cross-industry collaboration in developing MirrorLink® global standards and solutions for smartphone and in-vehicle connectivity. The organisation’s 100 members represent 70 percent of the world’s auto market, and 70 percent of the global smartphone market. 

For further information, visit www.mirrorlink.com. 

Are you interested in MirrorLink, or a different connected-car standard? Let us know in the comments.