- Date: 2022 – 2023
- Developed by: Harman Internacional
- Customers: Audi, Ferrari, John Deere, CARIAD (Volkswagen Group), Harman Ready Upgrade
- Creators: a global team of engineers, product managers, and software specialists
- Raúl’s contribution: Director of Software Product Line
- Market: Automotive / Tier 1 supplier / Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV)
- Product category: Cloud-based software development platforms
During 2022 and 2023, Raúl Bartolomé served as Director of the Software Product Line Ready CQuence Loop at Harman International. This project marked a turning point in how the automotive industry approaches software development.
For decades, progress in vehicle software was constrained by the availability of hardware prototypes. Engineers had to wait until physical components were ready before coding could truly begin, delaying innovation and limiting opportunities for testing. In an era of Software-Defined Vehicles, this model had become unsustainable. Consumers now expect cars to evolve like smartphones, with frequent updates, new features, and continuous improvements.
Ready CQuence Loop was Harman’s answer to this challenge. It is a cloud-based development and testing toolchain designed to give automotive software developers a fast, reliable, and modern way to create vehicle software. With this platform, developers can spin up a browser-based workbench in seconds, code in preconfigured development environments, and deploy their work directly to virtual targets for early testing. Once mature, the same software can be seamlessly validated on real devices, maintaining a consistent developer experience across both environments.
The advantages of this approach are substantial:
- Faster and more reliable software releases for automakers.
- A single, integrated toolchain for development, debugging, and validation.
- Lower development costs and reduced delays to production start.
- A bridge between virtualized simulation and real-world validation.
Technical Deep Dive
At the core of Ready CQuence Loop is the principle of virtualization and containerization. Instead of relying on a physical prototype, the platform creates virtual targets that behave like automotive electronic control units (ECUs). Developers write and compile code inside cloud-hosted containers, which provide a consistent environment regardless of the developer’s local setup.
This means a software feature can be tested thousands of times in simulation before it ever touches a car. Automated test suites validate stability, performance, and integration with other vehicle systems. Once the software passes these virtual checks, it can be deployed to a fleet of real devices in a controlled lab environment — all without disrupting the developer’s workflow.
This shift mirrors the practices of leading cloud and tech companies, bringing DevOps agility and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) into the automotive world. It allows carmakers to innovate at the pace of consumer electronics while maintaining the safety and reliability demanded by the automotive industry.
Raúl’s Contribution
Under Raúl’s leadership, Harman positioned Ready CQuence Loop with prestigious clients such as Audi, Ferrari, John Deere, and Volkswagen’s CARIAD. His responsibility extended beyond engineering: he directed the overall strategy, product definition, and go-to-market activities, ensuring that the platform addressed real industry needs. He also guided the collaboration of international teams across engineering, product management, and marketing, building a cohesive vision that combined innovation with practicality.
The development of Ready CQuence Loop was not just a technical achievement — it represented a cultural shift for the automotive sector. By delivering a platform that mirrored the best practices of the tech industry, Harman empowered carmakers to shorten their development cycles, enhance software quality, and embrace the flexibility demanded by the era of connected and autonomous vehicles.
Raúl’s contribution as Director was to align these ambitions with execution. He translated Harman’s long-term vision into a concrete product that entered the market and demonstrated its value in real projects. His work ensured that Ready CQuence Loop became a cornerstone of Harman’s portfolio for Software-Defined Vehicles and a key enabler of digital transformation in the automotive industry.
Further Information
For more information visit HARMAN international website, particularly https://car.harman.com/experiences/ready-cquence-loop
