Advanced Vehicle Networks Now Possible at Low Cost with SMARTWIRE; New Multimedia In-Car Network Technology Brings Luxury Car Functionality to Mid Range Vehicles.

Business Editors and High-Tech Writers

GUILDFORD, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 25, 2000

Communication and Control Electronics Limited (C&CE), a leading systems house dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of in-car information and entertainment networks, today announced a new technology for future vehicle systems. SMARTWIRE(TM) uses an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) of wires to carry data around the vehicle, significantly cutting the cost of previous optical fibre based networks. The company believes that the cost differential will allow even the most sophisticated networks, previously only found on high value luxury car models, to be fitted to mid-range "family" models as standard.

Advanced digital audio, video, navigation and communications functions are now being integrated into vehicles with increasing speed and diversity, driven by customer demand for higher levels of comfort, convenience and safety. By using a common network architecture, multimedia systems using CD and DVD players, mobile telephones, car navigation computers, audio tuners, laptop computers and amplifiers can be fully integrated on a simple "plug-and-play" basis. Using such systems, the driver is able to operate all system elements from just one dash- or wheel-mounted controller, or even by using voice recognition.

Because SMARTWIRE uses D2B, the world's best established automotive multimedia networking protocol standard, it will work and interact with virtually any standard device available today and in the foreseeable future. This standardised network approach will allow car manufacturers, their suppliers and even the eventual vehicle owner to customise the in-car multimedia system easily, as and when required.

A major strength of D2B is that it places no design or brand restrictions on automotive manufacturers' multimedia products. Car-makers therefore have complete freedom to source networked equipment from any supplier, provided that the product is validated to the D2B standard.

SMARTWIRE was developed specifically as a low cost "open" system, which would be fully compatible with existing protocols, and others which might evolve in the future. In particular, it is compatible with more expensive high performance optical fibre based systems, and the two technologies can be integrated within one vehicle environment if required. Automotive manufacturers can choose precisely what this potential mix of technologies is, depending mainly on assembly techniques and cost.

Mr. C. Ciocan, C&CE's Managing Director, believes that the cost and functionality benefits of the new SMARTWIRE system will be very attractive to automotive designers and manufacturers. He comments: "D2B based multimedia networks using optical fibre technology have been used very successfully by several luxury car manufacturers, such as Mercedes Benz and Jaguar, for some time. But they are sophisticated, expensive, and clearly not appropriate for lower cost vehicles. Now, with SMARTWIRE, we can offer very similar functionality at a fraction of the cost. This means that even the most comprehensive multimedia network can be economically built in to mid-range vehicles without a huge cost penalty."

"Clearly, key user benefits such as driver convenience, passenger comfort and safety, combined with overall system flexibility, is going to be very attractive to manufacturers. We are already talking with a number of key players about SMARTWIRE, and early feedback is very encouraging."

C&CE will highlight the SMARTWIRE(TM) technology at Convergence 2000 in Detroit, October 16-18. A press conference will be held at booth 588, October 18 at 9:45 a.m.

About C&CE

Communication and Control Electronics Limited (C&CE) is a world-leading systems house dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of in-car information and entertainment networks. The UK based company provides total solutions for advanced automotive multimedia systems internationally, including consultancy, system specification and development, integrated circuits, application software, and all necessary test and simulation tools.

Established in 1990 as a joint venture between Philips and Matsushita, the company was originally formed as D2B Systems Co. This became Communication and Control Electronics Limited in 1994, following a management buyout.

C&CE were the pioneers of the world's first international standard for fully-integrated optical multimedia systems in automobiles, D2B, and introduced the first dedicated automotive multimedia integrated circuit - called CONAN(R) in 1998. The company has formed links with the world's key automotive manufacturers and their suppliers, and this year CONAN will power over 3 million nodes in vehicles throughout the world.

The company's latest offering, the low cost SMARTWIRE system, will for the first time bring even the most complex in-vehicle data network technology, handling entertainment, GPS positioning, telecommunications and other control functionality, into the mid-range 'family' car market.

At the core of C&CE's activities is a commitment to product innovation, the development of high quality, high performance, cost effective solutions and the creation of international automotive multimedia standards.

CONAN(R), SuperCONAN(R) and SMARTWIRE(TM) are all Registered Trade Marks of Communication & Control Electronics Limited.