Car Connectivity Consortium Updates Digital Key Certification Program
The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) Digital Key Certification Program now includes coverage for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies. This expansion builds on the existing certification, which addresses the NFC components of a digital key solution, to incorporate additional functionalities such as remote access, passive entry, and passive start.
The inclusion of BLE and UWB in the certification program ensures that digital key solutions developed by members meet the highest standards for interoperability, security and functionality, according to CCC officials. By certifying solutions that leverage these three complementary technologies, the CCC enables automotive manufacturers, device makers, and technology providers to deliver seamless, trusted access and improved user experience.
“The evolution of CCC Digital Key Certification Program reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing technologies that simplify and secure how vehicles and devices work together,” said Alysia Johnson, President of CCC. “By expanding our support of Bluetooth LE and UWB, we’re enabling a future where consumers can rely on seamless and private access to their vehicles, no matter the device or manufacturer.”
Key features and benefits for the expanded coverage of the CCC Digital Key Certification Program include end-to-end interoperability, enhanced security, cross-platform key sharing, ease of use and standards-based certification.
Since its launch in 2023, the CCC Digital Key Certification Program has set the benchmark for secure and interoperable digital key solutions. In 2024, the program certified its first digital key products, signaling significant progress in standardizing vehicle-to-device connectivity. The addition of BLE and UWB to the program builds on this momentum and provides member organizations with the guidelines and tools needed to develop the solutions that align with consumer expectations for advanced digital key functionality.
“By setting a universal standard for digital key solutions, we are enabling automakers and technology providers worldwide to create seamless, secure, and user-friendly experiences that meet the evolving needs of modern consumers and support the future of connected vehicles,” said CCC chairperson John Sergakis .
SimCare AI Raises $2M to Scale Clinical Training with AI Patients
SimCare AI recently raised $2 million in seed funding to rethink clinical training from first principles: using AI patients to bypass regulatory constraints and certify clinical skills with far fewer patient interactions.
The funding round was led by Y Combinator and Drive Capital, with participation from Harper Court Ventures Fund, Singularity Capital, Triple S Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Asymmetry Ventures, Sand Hill North, and Transpose Platform.
The SimCare AI platform can be customized for residency programs preparing trainees for complex patient scenarios to social work programs practicing family interventions. Telehealth companies, for example, screen job applicants by testing their skills with SimCare AI patients, enabling faster and more cost-effective hiring. Currently, SimCare AI has already closed 30 pilots with institutions including the University of Pennsylvania.
“We took a risk to prove our point,” said Vrishank Saini, CEO and co-founder of SimCare AI. “By using AI patients, we’ve set a clinical benchmark for how training should be measured – efficient, reliable, and cost-effective. Current training methods excel at teaching acute conditions but fall short with chronic diseases that develop over months and years. SimCare AI’s simulations compress these timelines dramatically, allowing clinicians to witness disease progression patterns that would traditionally take years to experience.”
The platform’s impact extends across the healthcare education landscape—therapy programs employ it for counseling practice, and telehealth companies leverage it for hiring and upskilling. SimCare AI’s helps institutions track, assess, and verify student competencies according to regulatory requirements, a crucial feature for medical schools, nursing programs, and continuing medical education.
Molly Bonakdarpour, partner at Drive Capital, commented: “SimCare AI is addressing a clear need in healthcare training. In just four months, they’ve demonstrated strong early impact, delivering measurable ROI for customers. We’re impressed with their vision and execution and look forward to supporting their continued growth in AI-driven healthcare solutions.”
Quectel Unveils Series of Wi-Fi, BLE Modules
Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global IoT solutions provider, is now offering Quectel FGM842D and FGM842D-P Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.2 modules.
The modules feature high performance ARM968 processors with built-in 288KB RAM and 2MB flash memory to ensure efficient performance. The modules support UART and GPIO interfaces and offer support for SPI, I2C, ADC and PWM functions in the QuecOpen solution, which offers various low power consumption modes and a keep-alive mechanism to deliver maximum flexibility to designers and developers.