Motorola Adds Navigation Expertise to Continue Telematics Industry Leadership
2 February 2000
Motorola Adds Navigation Expertise to Continue Telematics Industry Leadership
SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--Feb. 2, 2000--Expand Its Presence With Key Investments in Specialized Navigation
Companies
Motorola has positioned itself to provide leading automotive navigation solutions to the telematics industry by investing in two prominent development companies, BCI Navigation, S.A. of Evry, France, and Liikkuva Systems International, Inc. of Sacramento, Calif.
The alliances with BCI Navigation and Liikkuva Systems International are part of a larger strategy to build upon the safety, security, navigation and concierge services already being delivered to drivers today through Motorola telematics capabilities.
Motorola has made a strategic investment in BCI Navigation, an engineering firm specializing in research and development of vehicle navigation software and map database management. Motorola also purchased the technical assets of Liikkuva, a software development company specializing in traveler information systems and in-vehicle navigation. Liikkuva's team of engineers are now employees of Motorola.
According to Marios Zenios, corporate vice president and general manager of Motorola's Telematics Communications Group, navigation is an important component within the overall automotive communications technology market, known as telematics.
"Our navigation initiative is key in our automotive communications technology efforts," Zenios said. "Motorola is poised to offer a complete combination of wireless voice and data to provide location-specific security, information, productivity and in-vehicle entertainment services to drivers and their passengers."
In a joint effort with its Liikkuva engineers and BCI Navigation, Motorola will develop server-based automotive navigation systems. In addition, Motorola's existing relationship with Trafficmaster Plc. further supports its long-range goal of making these server-based systems include traffic information.
Server based navigation is an important component of the overall telematics solution that Motorola is bringing to automotive manufacturers and other partners in the telematics marketplace.
"This relationship with Motorola takes us in a new, exciting direction," said Bruno Coiffet, president of BCI. "We primarily have focused on developing high-end on-board computer systems in the European market. With Motorola's capabilities in wireless communications, automotive products, and deep integration, we will target the important high volume international market with our state-of-the-art systems."
"It's exciting to be working with a leading global company," said Kurt Junge, founder of Liikkuva. "Our computer scientists are some of the brightest in the industry. We are all proud to share our technical expertise with Motorola."
Motorola's Zenios added, "Liikkuva and BCI Navigation have complementary strengths. The Liikkuva engineers will develop the server applications, while BCI adapts its successful automotive computer system, Cristine Pro, to interact with the server. The end result will be an in-vehicle client accessing the Internet for the most up-to-date navigation and traffic information available."
Server-based in-vehicle systems have a variety of advantages over the CD-based navigation systems currently on the market. Routes are computed anywhere in the United States, Canada and Europe using the most up-to-date maps and traffic information available. Point-of-interest information on restaurants, hotels/motels, gas stations and more is available in real-time. And with nearly all of the content stored on the server, the device installed in the vehicle is simple and less costly.
In contrast, the CDs needed for current navigation systems are usually sold by region in the U.S. and by country in Europe. They are out-of-date almost immediately because of constantly changing road landscapes, and they don't provide access to real-time traffic information and road conditions. Plus, users must purchase a new CD each time they need an upgrade.
About Motorola's Telematics Solutions
Complete with voice recognition and text-to-speech technologies, Motorola's telematics offerings are essentially in-vehicle wireless Web client and server-based delivery systems. Using these systems, drivers can easily access content originating from multiple sources, whether via the Web, cellular communications, broadcast and satellite transmissions, or traditional AM/FM bands, among others.
Telematics products by Motorola are made for worldwide automakers to help them deliver safety, security, navigation, concierge, productivity, entertainment and mobile multimedia services to drivers.
More information can be obtained at http://www.telematics.motorola.com
About Liikkuva
Founded in 1994 by Kurt and Cristina Junge, Liikkuva Systems International Inc. is a California-C corporation located near Sacramento. The company's core technology was designed and developed by a respected staff of computer scientists from Columbia, South America. Liikkuva is well-known within the ITS community and was the first to showcase off-board routing dynamically adjusted based on real-time traffic information at the ITS America Exhibition in Detroit in May 1998.
About BCI Navigation
BCI is a leading provider in advanced mobility software solutions. Thanks to its mastery of cartographic database, its own high performance format, and its expertise in navigation and driver assistance, BCI has designed CRISTINE, the first mobile office for professional users. BCI modular software developments have been tested all around the world and are already implemented into variety of vehicles and trucks in Europe. BCI is an independent group made of two international research centers: BCI Navigation for mobility and navigation; and BCI Carto for cartographic database and modeling of the environment.
About Motorola
Motorola's Telematics Communications Group (TCG) is part of the company's Integrated Electronic Systems Sector (IESS), a leading provider of advanced electronic products and systems for customers integrating electronics into their products. Motorola IESS solutions provide the brains - the DigitalDNA(TM) - that make electronic systems smart, powerful and easy to use. Motorola IESS designs and manufactures electronic solutions for automotive, communications, imaging, manufacturing systems, computer, consumer and industrial markets.
Motorola is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 1999 were $30.9 billion.