Volkswagen Group Launches New Versions of Its Best-Sellers VW Golf, Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia With Next-Generation Infotainment Solutions From HARMAN
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GENEVA--March 6, 2012: HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group , announced today that Volkswagen AG will launch the new models of its best-sellers VW Golf, Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia with the next-generation infotainment systems from HARMAN. Volume of the contract is estimated at about 1.25 Billion US-Dollars. The new multimedia-driven system will offer a sophisticated set of features including dynamic and real-time Google Earth navigation, brilliant graphics on the basis of the high-performance NVIDIA® Tegra 2 chipset, Internet access, and wireless connectivity. An embedded flash memory will provide dynamic navigation data which may be updated as required for current access to routes and road information.
“With this announcement, the Volkswagen Group demonstrates its close ties with the IT and consumer electronics industries to provide its customers with a unique mobile in-car experience”
Based on the HARMAN infotainment platform, Volkswagen Group has developed a modular infotainment platform (MIB) for next-generation models of VW Golf, Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia. The modular infotainment platform enables Volkswagen Group to easily upgrade the hardware and software in order to synchronize the on board technology with latest developments of the consumer electronics industry with its dramatically shorter lifecycle and development cycles than the automotive industry. Audi displays its current and future solutions for mobile IT applications under the "Audi connect" banner. One highlight is the next generation of the Audi A3 -- the first model from the carmaker that uses the modular infotainment platform from HARMAN. "Audi connect" describes the fully networked mobility of Audi -- that is, the networking of Audi models with the Internet, with the infrastructure and with other vehicles. The interfaces between the car and information technology continue to gain importance here. Audi already offers its customers integrated services that result from intelligently linking cloud and backend solutions. The connection with the World Wide Web currently operates via UMTS -- in the future, Audi will rely on the fast LTE standard.
"With this announcement, the Volkswagen Group demonstrates its close ties with the IT and consumer electronics industries to provide its customers with a unique mobile in-car experience", said Dinesh C. Paliwal, HARMAN's Chairman, President and CEO. "In-car internet access and improved connectivity are seen as key requirements for today's and tomorrow's cars. Based on the HARMAN Infotainment platform, Volkswagen Group will be able to offer its customers an always up-to-date mobile and multimedia experience for the whole lifecycle of the models. The modular hardware enables quick updates for higher performance too."
The new infotainment system will leverage HARMAN's deep expertise in automotive infotainment applications including tuner technology, premium audio solutions and cutting-edge networking. HARMAN will be the first infotainment system supplier worldwide to integrate the new TI Jacinto 5 SOC (system-on-chip), offering MOST150 networking technology and an FPGA-less design. The very highly integrated system provides a telephone module, a complete set of tuner modules, a six-channel high performance class-D amplifier, DVD-Drive, and a computing module built on the NVIDIA® system-on-chip technology, all housed in a single 1-DIN unit.
About HARMAN
HARMAN (Harman) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets -- supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.2 billion for twelve months ending December 31, 2011. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.
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