Fiat Group Automobiles and Microsoft Grow Partnership with the Lancia Delta and Fiat ecoDrive in Geneva
Continental also unveils Microsoft-based infotainment prototype at CeBIT expo.
News at a glance
o Fiat Group Automobiles will announce details on ecoDrive,
available later this year and based on the Blue&Me platform.
o Fiat is seeing massive uptake in Blue&Me, reaching an attach
ratio of 80 per cent in the new Fiat 500.
o Blue&Me and Blue&Me Nav will be offered on the new Lancia Delta,
which will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
o Following its launch last year, Ford has estimated Sync will be
a massive hit in the US car market with a projected 1 million cars sold with the system by early 2009.
o Continental AG will show its latest multimedia platform
prototype featuring extended navigation, infotainment and multi-device support.
HANNOVER, Germany, and GENEVA, Switzerland - 4 March 2008 - Following last year's successful unveiling of Blue&Me Nav, Fiat Group Automobiles and Microsoft Corp are set to announce strong attach rates and further developments for the system at this year's CeBIT expo and the Geneva Motor Show.
Fiat will show a new demonstration of an innovative application called ecoDrive, which analyses the motorist's driving style and offers suggestions on how to drive more "ecologically". By using the USB port of the versatile Blue&Me system, it is possible to record the characteristics of a motorist's driving style, and using a normal USB key, carry that information into a digital environment. There, the driver can analyse in detail the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of every journey, receive advice on how to drive with a lower impact on the environment, and become part of a community that shares an eco-aware driving ethic.
Blue&Me has now proved to be one of Fiat's most successful service offerings with 80 per cent per cent uptake in all of the pre-ordered Fiat 500s in Europe. The recent launch of Blue&Me Map for the Fiat 500 is also enjoying a huge sales success. Microsoft will present a Fiat 500 with Blue&Me Map at its booth in Hannover at this year's CeBIT.
In Geneva, Lancia Automobiles will globally launch the new Lancia Delta, with Blue&Me or Blue&Me Nav as an optional extra. Blue&Me Nav provides a simple and intuitive voice-controlled navigation system via a Bluetooth interface; as standard it also incorporates a USB port, MP3 player and SMS text interpreter. Blue&Me Nav's key functions such as phone, music player and navigation are built into the instrument panel, allowing drivers to listen to their favourite music, make phone calls and use the navigation system via the hands-free interface. The speech recognition technology ensures drivers have hands-free access to all Blue&Me's features in a completely safe manner when in motion.
"Microsoft and its partners share a vision for transforming the driving experience by connecting motorists seamlessly and conveniently to the people and information they care about while they are on the road," said Martin Thall, general manager of Microsoft Auto. "By building on the Microsoft Auto platform, Fiat's ability to innovate and create market-defining in-car technology allows the company to build even further on its reputation for driver-centric innovation and design."
As well as automakers and their suppliers, many popular aftermarket manufacturers also incorporate Microsoft software into their offerings.
At CeBIT Microsoft will showcase several state-of-the-art navigation/multimedia head units built on Microsoft's Windows Automotive operating system.
Sync to Drive Ford
Microsoft Auto has seen further momentum in the US with Ford Sync following its launch last year. Ford has estimated Sync will be a massive hit in the US car market with a projected 1 million cars sold equipped with it by early 2009. With the launch of the Ford Focus in the US, Sync has become the most requested feature in all Focus models, particularly among the 18- to 35-year-old audience.
At the CeBIT expo in Hannover, the international automotive supplier Continental AG will showcase a prototype of its next-generation Multimedia Platform (MMP), based on the Microsoft Auto platform. It includes navigation, high-end multimedia applications and interfaces that connect multiple portable electronic entertainment devices.
The Microsoft Auto platform allows Continental to focus on its key competences, such as system design, vehicle integration, driver assistance systems and safety systems. This also means its MMP is easily upgradeable, enabling Continental customers to keep up with the latest technologies and standards.
Carmakers benefit from this concept by getting a tailor-made system in a much shorter lead time, which allows more time to integrate the latest trends in consumer electronics into the automotive environment.
Ultimately, this enables motorists and their passengers to enjoy the latest infotainment technology as soon as it is available.
"Thanks to the excellent cooperation with Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit we are making rapid progress with our new platform. The development of this solution proves that our collaboration allows every party to concentrate on its key competencies, which maximises the benefit for our customers," said Helmut Matschi, president of Continental's Interior Division.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.
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