Entry-level telematics from Microsoft and Fiat Auto: the new telematics platform is the result of a long-term strategic partnership of Microsoft and Fiat Auto

Automotive Industries, July, 2005

FROM THE START of 2006, customers will be able to enjoy telematics and in-car entertainment in a variety of ways even if they only have a small budget, thanks to a new telematics system developed by Microsoft and Fiat Auto.

Every driver knows situations like the following: while driving, you need to make a call. If you have not previously trained your mobile phone to recognize your voice for each phonebook entry, you have to dial the digits manually and your attention is taken off the road. How much better (and safer) it would be to have an intelligent hands-free kit in the car that allows you to voice-dial with no speech training at all--because it immediately knows your mobile phone contacts?

At another time, you are invited to dinner. Although the directions you were given sounded simple, the routing is rather complicated, and you are lost. What you now need is the help of a navigation system that does not cost a huge amount of money, but still leads you reliably to your final destination. As the GPS receiver for determining your current position is already on board your car, no extra devices are needed for this offboard navigation assistance. Perhaps you own a Pocket PC or Smartphone equipped with navigation software, but the mobile GPS receiver needs a lot of cabling in the passenger compartment. How much simpler to have a GPS receiver already embedded in your car, useable for either offboard or onboard navigation or providing the GPS information through Bluetooth to your personal navigation system, on your PDA or smartphone.

These are only two examples where the new, innovative entry-level telematics platform from Microsoft and Fiat Auto can show its unique advantages--giving you only a glimpse of the manifold possibilities the system offers. There is much more.

Made with experience

The new telematics platform is the result of a long-term strategic partnership of Microsoft and Fiat Auto, both leaders in their market. Microsoft is the largest software company in the world, headquartered in Redmond, near Seattle, in the United States. Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit (ABU), founded in 1995 and dedicated to in-vehicle solutions, is working closely with the automotive industry to deliver advanced in-car information, navigation, and entertainment systems. The technology of the highly customizable Windows Mobile for Automotive telematics platform from Microsoft is the driving force in 30 preinstalled and aftermarket devices from 13 automakers and suppliers in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Fiat Auto from Turin in Italy is one of the leading European carmakers and has been combining value, economy, and innovation since its foundation in 1899. Being one of the pioneers in the automobile industry, Fiat Auto has sold more than 85 million cars and light commercial vehicles. Fiat Auto has extensive experience in the telematics business, providing pan-European infomobility, location-based and vehicle behavior tracking services.

Guido Rovai, Manager of Fiat Auto, Head of Infotainment System Development, says: "When we began the collaborative work with Microsoft on the new telematics platform, both of us had our own early projects under way. Microsoft was experimenting with the prototype of an entry-level telematics hardware box running the Windows Mobile for Automotive software. Fiat Auto worked on a universal telematics platform not only to support manufacturing and service processes, but also to improve customer satisfaction. While each was coming from a different direction, both companies shared the same vision: creating an entry-level, end-to-end telematics solution, appropriate for cost-efficient mass production and flexible in terms of connectivity.

"Both companies had a very clear, a very close thinking of what a new entry-level tetematics platform should be all about", says Rovai. This formed the cornerstone for the strategic partnership Microsoft and Fiat Auto made public in July 2004.

Bluetooth hands-free kit and personal entertainment

To meet the needs of different types of customers, the telematics solution from Microsoft and Fiat Auto is modular from the foundation upwards. The Italian carmaker plans to offer two levels, with the higher level including the benefits of the preceding one.

The basic model already lays the foundation for the seamless integration of various customers' personal devices. Through Bluetooth support, the car's audio system can be used as a hands-free phone kit for Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. "We worked on an evolution of our original telematics concept. To increase the level of interest for telematics, we chose the approach of adding new functions, and the first result was a Bluetooth hands-free car kit. In principle a hands-free kit does not really need an operating system inside, but we like to have the intelligence it offers," Rovai emphasizes. "By going that direction, we can offer customers a comfortable and safe call management. This is one of the highlights of our solution and already built into our new basic telematics device." Picking up incoming calls or accessing contacts stored in the mobile phone for initiating outgoing calls is now as easy and safe as it can be--simply by using voice, without lifting the hands from the steering wheel. Highly accurate, multi-language speech-recognition technology makes it possible: Voice-, and hence speaker-independent, training, is not needed. Instead, the speech-recognition feature works straight away, even if more than one driver uses the car.