German Car Zone

Harman International to Provide Next-Generation Infotainment System for BMW

09/17/2009

STAMFORD, Conn. & KARLSBAD, Germany--Harman International Industries, Incorporated announced today that it has been selected by BMW AG to provide the next generation high-end “Professional” infotainment system for all new vehicle platforms.

The new Harman system is multimedia driven and will offer a sophisticated set of features including 3-D navigation, brilliant graphics, Internet access, and wired or wireless connectivity for all passengers. A hard disc drive will provide rich navigation data and will accommodate the user's personal entertainment files for increased flexibility and comfort. The new system will utilize Harman’s energy-saving GreenEdge™ technology to deliver exceptional performance without compromise while reducing weight and power consumption.

“We are honored by BMW’s continued confidence in Harman automotive infotainment systems and we look forward to delighting new BMW drivers with next-generation solutions,” said Dinesh C. Paliwal, Harman’s Chairman, President and CEO. “This new award underscores the success of previous project launches, and follows a similar win from Daimler for its Mercedes models which we announced last week. New projects awarded during the last two months exceed $2 billion, the majority of which came from Daimler and BMW. With these new wins, Harman’s total awarded business exceeds $10 billion, approximately five times our automotive revenue during FY2009.”

“Our energy-efficient GreenEdge systems were developed in response to customer expectations for high performance combined with efficiency and we are pleased that BMW will be among the first to offer these systems to its customers,” added Dr. Klaus Blickle, CEO and President of the Harman International Automotive Division.

Harman International Industries, Incorporated (Harman International), designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Harman International maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and employs around 9,500 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Harman International

And for MB as well ...


09/09/2009
Harman International to Provide Next-Generation Infotainment System for Mercedes-Benz


STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT / KARLSBAD, GERMANY - Harman International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR) announced today that it has been selected by Daimler AG to provide the next-generation COMAND infotainment system for the automaker’s new Mercedes-Benz S- and C-Class models.
“We are delighted to continue our long-term partnership with Daimler AG which began in 1949 when we delivered the first Becker audio system to Mercedes-Benz,” said Dinesh C. Paliwal, Harman’s Chairman, President and CEO. “We are honored by their continued confidence and we look forward to working with Daimler and its customers to deliver exceptional infotainment solutions blending high performance and energy efficiency.”
The system is multimedia driven and will offer a sophisticated set of features including 3-D navigation, brilliant graphics, Internet access, and wired or wireless connectivity. A hard disc drive will provide rich navigation data and will accommodate the user's personal entertainment files for increased flexibility and comfort.
“The next generation infotainment system will utilize Harman’s energy-saving GreenEdge™ technology to deliver exceptional performance without compromise while reducing weight and power consumption”, said Dr. Klaus Blickle, CEO and President of the Harman International Automotive Division.

Running Intel Atom.



Intel® Atom™ Processor: Intel's Smallest Chip

so BMW's pulling the plug on iDrive?

Uhm, no. Why?

Current iDrive system v3.0 also features Harman tech (3-D navi, HiFi Harman/Kardon, hard disc etc) ...

Systems like Comand, MMI, iDrive are made of different solution from different manufactures. Eg. display from one manufacturer, knobs & buttons from other, GUI from another, Infotainment (TV, phone, audio, navi) form other etc.