Ingolstadt and Rome, 05 May 2010 – Telit Wireless Solutions will be equipping the new Audi A8 with UMTS/HSDPA-based broadband communications modules. The two companies have today announced that the new, third-generation "MMI Navigation plus" infotainment system will be fitted as an optional extra from the summer of 2010 with the UC864-E-AUTO from Telit automotive module. This will give Audi customers the ability to make and receive telephone calls as well as use mobile Internet and innovative online services.
In the high-end car market in particular, infotainment systems are becoming an increasingly important differentiating feature among the competition. The convenient connection of mobile devices, such as telephones, media players or storage media, to the infotainment system, coupled with the connection of the vehicle to the mobile Internet, makes tough demands of the individual technology components and their integration. With its MMI Navigation plus infotainment system, Audi is confirming its innovative leadership in the field of online communications too.
Vorsprung durch Technik: Audi Bluetooth Autotelefon online – powered by Telit.
The MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch is the central control unit for rapid and simple access to all infotainment functions. The system not only boasts the familiar functions of 3D hard drive navigation, telephone and media functions including 20 GByte of free memory, CD/DVD drive and integrated speech dialog system with multi-slot input, but now also features – for the first time – an innovative touchpad for handwriting recognition. With the optionally-available "Bluetooth Autotelefon online", the UMTS/HSDPA module UC864-E-AUTO from Telit is now being integrated completely into the MMI system. As well as premium voice-controlled telephony via the Bluetooth SIM access profile or plug-in SIM card, the system now also offers broadband mobile Internet access inside the car as standard. This can be used on the one hand for Audi online services integrated into the car, such as point of interest searches, destination uploads in the car from home, retrieval of weather forecast information, travel information and news headlines, as well as Google Earth online satellite maps. On the other, of course, the Internet access facility can also be used by passengers with mobile wireless LAN devices as a "rolling hotspot".
UC864-E-AUTO: Perfected for the automotive industry
The UC864-E-AUTO is a single-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band EDGE module developed especially for the needs of the automotive industry. The module guarantees an ultra-fast data transfer of up to 7.2 Mbit/s at 2100 MHz. Thanks to its extremely compact size and extended temperature range to comply with automotive standards, it fits in perfectly with the physical layout inside the vehicle.
"The UC864-AUTO is the world’s first UMTS/HSDPA module that guarantees a broadband connection for cars to the mobile Internet. It is therefore a central module for the next generation of telematics and infotainment systems", said Dominikus Hierl, Managing Director Strategic Accounts & Corporate Business Development at Telit Communications PLC. "We’re immensely proud that our module has proven its ability as part of such a fascinating and innovative system as the MMI Navigation plus from Audi."