Redefining the in-car experience: building a full-feature app marketplace for millions of vehicles
A global premium automotive manufacturer lacked a way for drivers to discover, purchase, and manage applications directly in the vehicle – independent of external platform providers. Together with Netlight, they designed and delivered an end-to-end in-car app marketplace with integrated payments and a dedicated distribution platform, now live across millions of vehicles.
About the client
The client is a global premium automotive manufacturer with millions of connected vehicles on the road, offering a broad range of mobility and digital services.
Challenge
As the client transitioned to a new infotainment platform, a clear gap appeared:
- No centralised way for drivers to discover, install, and manage applications directly in the vehicle – independent of external platform providers
- Payment flows that forced drivers to switch to their phones
- No reliable way to control which app versions were available across the global fleet
- No way to sell apps directly in the car – leaving revenue on the table
Solution
Working closely with the client's teams over several years, we designed and delivered an end-to-end app marketplace for the in-car platform. A proprietary in-car store gives drivers access to OEM and third-party apps. An integrated payment solution replaced mobile-device workarounds with one-tap purchases (subscriptions, one-time, or free trials) directly from the vehicle's display.
Behind the scenes, a dedicated distribution platform securely manages app artefacts, metadata, and orchestrated rollouts across the global fleet. A web-based portal and custom tooling streamline releases to production vehicles, ensuring consistent setup and continuous updates worldwide.
Impact
- Scale: Live across millions of vehicles with hundreds of apps and millions of installations processed. Entirely independent of external app stores
- Experience: Unified in-car purchasing and streamlined app management across the global fleet
- Quality: Industry-leading test coverage and zero vulnerabilities across all components
- Together with the client, we turned the connected vehicle from a static product into a living digital platform
Let's get started
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