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Sun Microsystems Hits the Road With Java Technology Solutions For the Automotive Industry

16 October 2000

Sun Microsystems Hits the Road With Java Technology Solutions For the Automotive Industry 
                   Consumers to 'Get Connected' in the Car

    DETROIT, CONVERGENCE 2000, Oct. 16 In-vehicle navigation,
entertainment and diagnostic systems are becoming more visible in cars
worldwide.  The convergence of these types of car-based systems with a
continuous broadband connection signal an interest from people on the move to
stay connected with timely information on traffic, weather, music and other
services.  This week at the Convergence 2000 Show, Sun Microsystems plans to
demonstrate innovative Java(TM) technology based solutions that offer a
glimpse of how consumers and cars will get connected while on the road.
    "Its all about selling services to cars," said Patricia C. Sueltz,
executive vice president, Software Systems Group, Sun Microsystems.  "As the
Internet becomes more ubiquitous in our lives, people depend more on its
helpfulness and convenience.  Java technology is a natural choice for
integrating these systems and networking them with the wide array of real-time
services available via the Internet."
    Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy will offer the keynote address at the
show on Monday, October 16 at 9 a.m. in the Riverview Ballroom.  SunLabs
Director Jim Mitchell will participate in "The Automotive Electronics
/Information Revolution:  What it will take to make it happen" panel on
Monday, October 16, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.  Additionally, Sun's booth, #351 in
Detroit's Cobo Center, will highlight demonstrations of the eGasStation Remote
Monitoring and Control System, EV1 Experimental Java Technology-Enabled
Vehicle and a wall showing devices to be integrated into the automobile.
    The eGasStation project demonstrates how Java technology integrates the
neighborhood gas station into the world of e-commerce and allows the gas
station to act as a host for interactions with Java technology-enabled car.
Java technology and the Internet are used to remotely monitor and control gas
pumps, point of sale systems, and other devices at gasoline service stations.
A wireless connection and a Web-browser allow a display of automotive
diagnostic status and vehicle information at the gas pump display.  Since cars
frequent gas stations more often than automotive service facilities,
eGasStation will be ideally suited to collect operations and status
information on the automobile at each visit.
    The EV1 Sun concept car, a research project of SunLabs, offers a range of
new and robust functionality -- including a diagnostic report of the car's
condition on its own Web page.  The EV1 Sun concept car was created as a test
platform to evaluate new features that Java technology can deliver to
automobiles, from diagnostics to security to infotainment systems.  While
developers have used Java technology for specific features like navigation,
Sun's concept car is the first to attempt the large-scale use of Java software
architecture in a car.
    Java technology was designed from the ground-up to support the secure
delivery and transparent installation of services for a networked environment,
hence its success on the Internet and wireless environments.  With
infotainment and diagnostic systems, automakers can gain ongoing revenue
opportunities by selling systems that can be upgraded or augmented anytime
throughout the life of the vehicle.  For example, services such as emergency
roadside assistance, MP3 audio entertainment, travel and weather information,
or enhanced diagnostics could become after market purchases.  This expertise
is easily transferred into the automobile, an environment where the Internet
and personal devices can seamlessly combine as the automobile becomes a
docking station for devices such as a cell phone or PDA.
    Sun is committed to delivering solutions based on open standards.  To this
end, the company is working with groups such as the Automotive Multimedia
Interface Consortium (AMI-C), a consortium of more than 90 percent of the
world's automotive companies to develop in-vehicle software standards and the
independent, nonprofit Open Standards Gateway Initiative (OSGi) to define open
standards for connecting future generations of networked consumer and small
business devices into the Internet space.
    For more information about Java technology in automotive please visit
http://java.sun.com/products/consumer-embedded/automotive/

    About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- The Network Is The
Computer(TM) -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. , to its
position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and
services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to dot-com
their businesses.  With $15.7 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in
more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

    Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, The Network Is The Computer and Java
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the
United States and other countries.