AIS-190 Compliance: Software Update Management Systems (SUMS) for Automotive OEMs

Imagine an OEM discovers a software issue in hundreds or even thousands of vehicles already on the road. They also have the fix in hand.

The obvious question is: How do we get that software update into all those vehicles?

With Over-the-Air (OTA) technology, the answer seems simple. The OEM can remotely send the update to the vehicle without asking every customer to visit a service centre.

But here comes the question: Is sending the update enough?

Exactly not.

Once software becomes part of the vehicle, updating it is no longer just a technical activity. An update could affect vehicle functionality, safety-related systems, type-approved features, compliance, or even how the vehicle behaves after the update.

This is where AIS-190 and Software Update Management Systems (SUMS) plays a crucial role.

AIS-190 is a government-mandated automotive compliance framework for managing software updates throughout a vehicle’s lifecycle.

For OEMs, the key question is: Can you prove that every software update is properly assessed, validated, authorized, securely deployed, and documented?

That is where SUMS comes into the picture.

A Software Update Management System (SUMS) can be thought of as the framework that controls the entire software update journey.

A simple software “update” doesn't look like a single technical action anymore.

It looks more like a lifecycle.

Plan → Assess → Validate → Approve → Deploy → Monitor → Document

So, Where Does OTA Fit In?

Imagine an OEM has developed a software update and has an OTA platform through which the software update reaches almost every vehicle remotely. But, before pressing that deployment button, the OEM still needs to know whether the software is authorized & validated with the vehicle configuration.

In simple terms, OTA helps make the update possible, while SUMS helps make the update controlled, secure, traceable and manageable throughout its lifecycle.

Why Does This Become Important for an OEM?

A software change may appear small when viewed from the development side.

But once that software is running inside a vehicle, the impact can be much wider.

A change could influence vehicle functionality, safety-related functions, type-approved systems, regulatory compliance, software configuration or overall vehicle performance.

This is why an OEM cannot treat every update as simply another software release.

How reliable is E-Sumo?

E-SUMO performs the entire cycle from secure software deployment, validation, rollback, secure boot and code signing to help ensure updates are delivered safely.

At the same time, E-SUMO provides monitoring & traceability to OEMs for better visibility and Control At Ettiksoft, we provide end-to-end Automotive software and Cybersecurity solutions to help OEMs move towards a secure, connected and software-defined mobility future.

Let’s connect and build it together.