Delphi and Comcast Announce Development Effort for In-Vehicle Mobile Video Delivery
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2005 -- At the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, Delphi Corp. and Comcast Corporation plan to announce an agreement today under which the two companies will work together to develop ways to allow users to select video content, transfer it to an in-vehicle entertainment system, and take it with them on the go.
Under the agreement, Delphi will work to develop an electronic consumer device for use in vehicles that enables the transfer and user selected playback of video, and Comcast will examine ways to allow users to access video content.
"The Comcast and Delphi joint development project will seek to explore ways to empower users with a new mechanism to deliver video programming to the vehicle," said Dave Wohleen, Delphi vice president and president of Delphi's Electronics & Safety sector.
"We're pleased to work with Delphi to explore how we can support an expanding array of products and services," said Steve Craddock, Comcast's senior vice president of New Media Development.
The goal of the agreement is to leverage Delphi's 802.11 enabled rear-seat video system and allow users to securely transfer content to their vehicles. The agreement includes an anticipated timeline of 6 months to 18 months for evaluation and development.
"Delphi has established a track record of leadership in automotive electronics and, as we expand our presence in adjacent technologies, we're radically transforming the everyday experiences people have both at home and on the road," said Beth Schwarting, Delphi Electronics & Safety general director of sales and marketing. "Our efforts will have the potential to become the coolest and most convenient way to get customized programming into the car."
Delphi has demonstrated 802.11 technologies for the past several years to create awareness of their benefits among consumers, dealers and the public. Homes and businesses are increasingly turning to IEEE 802.11 wireless networking to connect computers and devices, making it one of the fastest growing technologies. The technology allows receivers to send and receive data anywhere within a few hundred feet of a base station, or "hot spot." The number of 802.11 worldwide users was estimated to have more than tripled last year, from 9.3 million in 2003 to 30 million. The number of U.S. hot spots is also growing rapidly, increasing from 65,000 in 2004 to forecasts of more than 350,000 by 2008.
About Delphi Corporation
Delphi is a world leader in mobile electronics and transportation components and systems technology. Multi-national Delphi conducts its business operations through various subsidiaries and has headquarters in Troy, Mich., USA, Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Delphi's two business sectors -- Dynamics, Propulsion, Thermal & Interior Sector and Electrical, Electronics & Safety Sector -- provide comprehensive product solutions to complex customer needs. Delphi has approximately 186,500 employees and operates 171 wholly owned manufacturing sites, 42 joint ventures, 53 customer centers and sales offices and 34 technical centers in 41 countries. Delphi can be found on the Internet at http://www.delphi.com/ .
About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (http://www.comcast.com/ ) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 21.5 million cable customers and more than 6.5 million high-speed Internet customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.
The Company's content businesses include: Comcast SportsNet, E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, Outdoor Life Network, G4techTV and International Channel Networks as well as a minority investment in TV One. The Company also has a majority ownership in Comcast- Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.