LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2000 — Today at CES, Microsoft Corp. previewed new devices from Visteon Corp. and Clarion Corporation of America built on the second version of the Microsoft® Windows® CE for Automotive operating system that was released to manufacturers this summer. The devices bring the benefits of interactive speech technology, mobile connectivity, information on demand and enhanced entertainment within the automobile to new levels.
Most notable about the next generation of in-car computing devices built on the Microsoft automotive operating system are the larger screen support, backseat entertainment and improved speech-recognition software. Added support for Hitachi SH4 and Intel X86 processors will allow the devices to deliver a quicker and more efficient in-car computing experience.
“We have done a great deal of work to understand what the automotive industry wants from its technology partners. As a result, Windows CE for Automotive is gaining momentum, and manufacturers are building great devices with the technology,”
said Dave Wright, director of business development, Windows CE for Automotive at Microsoft.
The newest technology partner to demonstrate an upcoming in-car computing device built on Windows CE for Automotive is Visteon with its Information, Communication, Entertainment, Safety and Security System (ICES) device.
“Consumers are looking for even greater value from their vehicle, and the ability to merge home, office and vehicle will greatly improve their quality of life,”
said David Peace, vice president for global aftermarket operations at Visteon.
Clarion, pioneers in the in-car computing space with its Windows CE for Automotive-powered Clarion AutoPC 310C, provided CES attendees with a first look at its second-generation Clarion AutoPC model 320DV.
“We are pleased to continue our relationship with Microsoft to develop a new generation of mobile multimedia products that converges car audio with personal computing,”
said James Minarik, president and CEO of Clarion.
“The next generation of Clarion AutoPC continues to be built on the innovative, unique and highly successful platform of our first generation and is also powered by Windows CE for Automotive.”
As the number of devices built on Windows CE for Automotive increases, software developers such as InfoGation Corp. are developing innovative applications for the respective devices.
“By focusing our development on Windows CE for Automotive, we have been able to build innovative applications for Clarion and Visteon,”
said Kent Pu, president of InfoGation.
“Most recently, we applied this focus to our own Odyssey navigation software and at CES we will preview the first real-time traffic updates integrated with a navigation application.”
About Microsoft
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