Linksys, Zandiant Turning Cars Into WLAN Nodes

Communications Today, Jan 9, 2003

Wireless networking equipment vendor Linksys and telematics firm Zandiant Technologies have announced an alliance aimed at creating wireless products that will link vehicles into wireless local-area networks. One anticipated application is wireless MP3 players that would allow users' in-vehicle music systems to connect with home networks to download music. Another is the ability to connect to hotspots while away from home to access location-specific Internet content. Zandiant was spun off from car audio vendor Clarion in 2001.

While part of Clarion, the unit developed the Joyride in-vehicle multimedia system that offers AM/FM/MP3 audio, DVD video and an optional navigation package. Joyride provides a glimpse of what the in-vehicle component of future systems would look like, but relies on disc-based storage. By teaming with Linksys to provide Wi-Fi or other wireless LAN access (the companies did not specify Wi-Fi or any other access protocol) the system would gain the ability to contact the larger network for content.

[Copyright 2003 PBI Media, LLC. All rights reserved.]