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Continental Presents AutoLinQ(TM) - a Mashup of Car, Personalized Web and Social Media Content

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 June 2009, 08:00 CDT

With Continental's AutoLinQ solution, drivers and passengers will be "Always On" and able to connect to what matters in their life. AutoLinQ is an open architecture capable of leveraging the Android Market Place as well as other Internet ecosystems.

DETROIT, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental, one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, today introduced AutoLinQ(TM) during the Telematics Detroit 2009 Conference. AutoLinQ is a next generation in-vehicle infotainment and connectivity solution that will enable drivers and passengers to personalize their car by safely downloading information and content from the web to the dash. Continental will work closely with its automotive customers and application developers to ensure that the information brought into the car is integrated in a balanced, thoughtful, secure and safety-minded way.

Opening The Door To The Future of Mobility Inside The Car

Continental plans to develop automotive hardware and a software solution, extending tools and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) into the automotive space for the third-party development community. The open architecture that Continental is developing is expected to be capable of leveraging the Android Market Place as well as other Internet ecosystems.

Continental plans to work hand-in-hand with its automotive customers to create a new business model that includes partnering with third party developers to write and certify applications for the car. The applications will provide drivers and passengers with vehicle adapted content and services that are relevant to the driving experience.

Continental initially plans to focus its efforts on developing a set of 'core' applications that will provide drivers with the power to take the Internet with them anytime, anywhere. Applications are being designed to provide drivers with contextually relevant information to make life easier and better. For instance, imagine if a car is smart enough to know how to find the friends within your personal network, visually display their location via an in-dash display and navigate you to them in the shortest amount of time using real-time traffic information. Continental plans to work with its partners to develop a host of compelling new in-vehicle experiences.

"As the global leader of in-vehicle connectivity and multimedia products, Continental has helped many of its customers' integrate technology into the car to differentiate their vehicle brands and sell cars," said Kieran O'Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Continental's Infotainment & Connectivity Business Unit. "Continental's AutoLinQ solution will further evolve this capability and enable OEMs to build brand loyalty by taking advantage of continuously evolving and updatable internet content."

Continental's AutoLinQ solution also will enable consumers to monitor and control certain vehicle functions from a mobile phone; check the vehicle status, change certain vehicle settings and customize individual driver preferences from a laptop or home PC.

"By 2016, the majority of consumers will consider in-vehicle connectivity and the ability of driver/passenger-centric, contextual information as important as traditional automobile features such as high safety and fuel efficiency standards," says Thilo Koslowski Vice President and Automotive Practice Leader at Gartner, Inc.

According to Koslowski, "The continued rise of connected consumer devices, such as smartphones and mobile Internet devices (MIDs), will increase consumer expectations for always-on data availability throughout their work and home, and when being mobile - including when driving. The automotive industry must therefore develop seamless data and service-to-car integration solutions that leverage unique Human-Machine-Interface, connectivity and application portal innovations to provide a rich, flexible and unique user experience."

About Continental

With sales exceeding euro 24 billion in 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. The corporation currently employs approximately 133,000 at nearly 190 locations in 35 countries.

About Continental AG's Automotive Group

The Automotive Group of Continental AG is one of the leading global automotive suppliers. With its three Divisions - Chassis & Safety, Powertrain and Interior - it achieved sales of approximately 15 billion euros in 2008. The Automotive Group employs more than 80,000 people in more than 130 locations worldwide. As a partner of the automotive industry, the Automotive Group develops and produces innovative products and systems for a modern automotive future, in which a car accommodates individual mobility and driving pleasure to driving safety, environmental responsibility and cost-efficiency.

The Chassis & Safety Division (5.1 billion euros, 27,000 employees) develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis control systems, sensors, driver assistance systems, air bag control systems, occupant classification systems, washer systems as well as electronic air suspension systems. Its core competence is the integration of active and passive driving safety into the safety concept ContiGuard(R). The Powertrain Division (4 billion euros, 25,000 employees) integrates innovative and efficient system solutions for vehicle powertrains. These systems increase performance and driving comfort while at the same time lowering consumption and emissions. The comprehensive range of products includes gasoline and diesel injection systems, engine management, transmission control, including sensors and actuators, as well as fuel-supply systems and components and systems for hybrid drives. Information management is at the very heart of the Interior Division (5.9 billion euros, more than 30,000 employees). The range of products includes instrument clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car-entry systems, tire-monitoring systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, climate control systems, telematics solutions as well as cockpit modules and systems. Additional products and services for commercial and special vehicles and spare parts for the independent aftermarket as well as original equipment services for a phased-out series production perfectly round off the portfolio.

www.continental-automotive.com

SOURCE Continental

Source: PR Newswire

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