Cellport Enters Key Auto Markets With Global Partner Program
Cellport Enters Key Auto Markets With Global Partner Program
Asia and Europe Seen Vital to Setting Global Standard for Emerging Automotive Telematics Market BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 20 Seeking to meet growing demand for its products and quickly establish a global de facto standard for automotive telematics, Cellport Systems, a leading provider of automotive wireless communications technologies and products, today announced strategic technology and marketing partnerships with ALAC GmbH in Germany; Anglo Communications, a member of the Recall Group plc, in the United Kingdom; Omron Corporation in Japan; and Peiker acustic GmbH & Co. KG. The alliances are the initial result of Cellport's new Global Partner Program, and expand Cellport's reach globally by giving the company an important local presence in three of the world's major auto markets. The Cellport Global Partner Program is a consortium of leading vendors from the wireless, automotive and software industries that are working together to advance Cellport's open architecture technology for automotive telematics. By licensing Cellport's patented portfolio of core wireless connectivity technologies and other intellectual property, Cellport Global Partners are able to develop, manufacture and sell universal hands-free mobile phone connectivity systems and more advanced automotive telematics products and services for OEM applications and after-market installations. Joint marketing activities, training and facilities for exchanging ideas, technologies, products and components among partners are also part of the program. Among the core technologies that Global Partners are licensing are Cellport's method for universally interfacing mobile phones to in-vehicle systems, a central component of the Cellport 3000(TM) family of universal hands-free products. "Through Cellport Global Partners, we are creating a powerful global organization by combining the strength of Cellport technologies with the collective expertise, manufacturing and marketing capabilities of our partners around the world," said Steve Parrish, president of Cellport Global Partners. "We are extremely pleased to have attracted such innovative companies as these Global Partners. We are actively pursuing additional relationships with selected companies from around the world who can meet our high standards for technology, business acumen and integrity." Initially, each Cellport Global Partner will OEM and market under their own brands the recently announced Cellport 3000 with Voice Command, a breakthrough, universal, voice-activated, hands-free system that allows a driver to operate a cell phone while keeping both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Partners will also develop the Pocket Adapters for popular mobile handsets in their local markets. Longer term, Cellport Global Partners will develop their own derivative products using the standard Cellport connectivity interface to enhance and extend the connectivity system architecture while addressing their specific markets and customer bases. "All of us at ALAC are delighted to be among the first members of the Cellport Global Partner Program. Cellport's advanced connectivity technology, product execution and open architecture approach provides needed leadership in the worldwide telematics market," said Alf Naber, managing director of ALAC. "We believe that the Cellport architecture will give us a solid and flexible platform for growth and innovation." "As the mobile handset emerges as the communications conduit for automotive telematics, OEMs and suppliers will be confronted with the problem posed by the constant churn in the mobile handset market," said Ashley Duddle at Anglo Communications. "Cellport's unique consumer centric universal connectivity system offers a standardized interface between the handset and the rest of the telematics system that we can use to design and manufacture embedded telematics applications that won't be made obsolete by advances in handsets." "Our two companies share a common vision of how Cellport's open architecture will lead innovation in the global telematics industry. Coupling Omron's advanced sensing technology with Cellport's open wireless connectivity platform has already yielded exciting vehicle applications," said Hideki Masuda, executive vice president and corporate director of Omron Corporation. "The next generation of always-on mobile telephone networks combined with automotive telematics will create one of the most exciting and potentially lucrative communications environments for voice and data services, and Japan leads the world in making wireless data and telematics a combustible market reality." "Peiker acustic is a leading supplier of high-end hands-free solutions to the auto industry, and the addition of innovative products based on Cellport's technology is certain to enhance our competitiveness even further," said Reinhard Kromer-von Baerle, executive vice president at Peiker acustic. "Our family of telematics products, particularly those for PDAs, are an excellent complement to Cellport's solutions, and the Global Partner Program gives us a unique channel for making them available around the world." According to McKinsey & Company, automotive telematics could generate up to $100 billion -- depending on customer demand and regulatory decisions -- in the United States, Japan and Western Europe by 2010. Cellport 3000 Product Line The Cellport 3000 is widely recognized as the most advanced, full-featured mobile phone car kit available today. Unlike phone-specific car kits that are difficult, if not impossible, to upgrade, the universal Cellport 3000 can accommodate most popular phones simply by changing the unique Pocket Adapter. The Cellport 3000 also features superior audio quality, intelligent battery charging, secure mounting, an external microphone and external antenna connection. The new Cellport 3000 with Voice Command adds speaker-independent voice recognition, enabling any driver to use simple English commands to place or answer calls on their mobile phones without having to look at or touch the handset. About Cellport Systems Cellport Systems is a world leader in providing in-vehicle wireless communications and telematics systems. The company's products include the Cellport 3000, the industry's first universal hands-free platform and the Cellport 3000 with Voice Command. The company's substantial patent portfolio positions it to continue its leadership position as the telematics industry is further developed and defined. The Cellport Systems Global Partners program is rapidly expanding Cellport technology around the globe through unique strategic partnership and licensing relationship with partners in Europe, North America and Asia. Investors include AT&T Wireless Services, Cisco Systems and Omron Corporation. The company is privately held, with corporate headquarters in Boulder, Colo., and regional offices in Detroit, Michigan and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, please visit the Cellport Systems web site at http://www.cellport.com. NOTE: Cellport 3000 is a trademark of Cellport Systems.
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