Continental Says Digital Lifestyle and Vehicle Safety Trends Will Drive Interior Electronics
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DETROIT, April 14 -- This week at the 2008 SAE World Congress, the President of Continental's Interior Division will discuss, during a panel titled: "Electronics: Expectations and Opportunities,"* how digital lifestyle and vehicle safety trends are driving Interior Electronics forward and helping automakers differentiate their vehicle brands.
"Digital and portable content has dramatically altered our lifestyles and consumer expectations," said Helmut Matschi, Head of Continental's Interior Division. "The trends that are appearing in consumer culture are impacting the automotive industry and requiring suppliers to develop innovative, flexible and upgradeable in-vehicle electronic architectures."
Matschi will discuss how automakers around the world are embracing in-car information management and connectivity trends by offering compelling, relevant in-vehicle experiences that enhance vehicle safety, comfort and convenience.
With more than 100 years of experience, Continental's Interior Division is focused on partnering with its customers, and non-traditional automotive suppliers, to design intelligent electronics that will enable a car and its users to be "Always-On." Known as the "Information Company" within Continental, the Interior Division designs products that provide consumers with the ability to enter and start their car at the push of a button; connect to the outside world to access the information and content they need, all while enhancing driver focus through intuitive human machine interfaces (HMIs).
Continental continues to utilize its technology expertise to keep drivers and passengers safe while also providing them with a more convenient way to "control" and operate their Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones or music players while inside the car. For example:
-- According to recent consumer research, the voice activated Ford
Sync(TM) in-car communication and entertainment system that was
designed by Ford and Microsoft with hardware, vehicle software, system
integration and manufacturing support from Continental has positively
impacted Ford vehicle sales in North America.
-- The company has launched its hands-free communication systems with
four customers and on five vehicle lines in China. Next week, during
Auto China in Beijing, Continental will demonstrate how its next-
generation system, which utilizes Mandarin voice recognition
technology, will make hands-free calling even easier. Later this year,
the company expects to enhance the experience by demonstrating how
Mandarin text-to-speech technology will enable a car to read short
text messages to a driver and also enable them to use their voice to
play or manage their digital music inside the car.
-- In Europe, Continental is a strong supporter of the European
Commission's eCall initiative which, when implemented, will provide a
"wireless-life line" to emergency assistance by transmitting important
accident data to authorities to help facilitate an emergency response
during the critical seconds after an accident.
-- The Telematics Control Unit that Continental has supplied to General
Motors for more than 10 years has enabled OnStar(R) to provide safety,
security and peace of mind for drivers and passengers in North
America.
-- Continental also is actively participating in a four-year field trial
in Germany, known as SIM-TD, to investigate how car-to-car and car-to-
roadside communication systems may one-day reduce traffic congestion
and enhance vehicle safety.
"With our new, expanded product portfolio, Continental is at the forefront of Interior Electronics and I am attending the SAE World Congress this year to help inspire and energize automotive engineers about a truly exciting area of our industry," said Matschi. "I believe that the digital lifestyles we are leading, combined with vehicle safety trends, will continue to transform in- vehicle electronic architectures and evolve the cars we drive into the most reliable, high-tech electronics device we own."
About Continental
With targeted annual sales of more than euro 26.4 billion for 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, the corporation contributes towards enhanced driving safety and protection of the global climate. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Today, the corporation employs approximately 150,000 people at nearly 200 locations in 36 countries.
Supplying both, OEMs and the Aftermarket worldwide, the Interior Division of Continental AG develops and produces electronic systems which allow the information in a vehicle to be controlled and communicated according to the requirements of the driver and the driving situation. The Division achieves annual sales of more then euro 6 billion with a workforce of more than 33,000 employees. The range of products includes instruments clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car entry systems, tire information systems, climate control systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, telematic solutions as well as cockpit modules and systems. The Interior Division develops vehicle electronics enabling car-to- car and car-to-infrastructure communication, Internet access and the seamless integration of mobile devices (car-to-device). The focus on systems integration offers customers less complexity and ensures efficient and cost- effective solutions for the management of information in passenger cars as well as commercial and special vehicles.
* The Electronics: Expectations and Opportunities Panel Discussion takes
place on Tuesday, April 15, from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time in the
AVL Technology Theater in Cobo Hall
