Partnership creates ‘out of the box’ experience for developing automotive wireless connectivity use cases
SAN JOSE, Calif. & CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 11, 2013 — CSR plc (LSE: CSR; NASDAQ: CSRE) today announces a partnership with Mentor Graphics to deliver an ‘out of the box’ solution for OEMs looking to deliver in-car wireless connectivity. CSR Synergy® software will come pre-integrated in upcoming releases of Mentor Graphics’ GENIVI Linux compliant Automotive Technology Platform (ATP) to provide a complete software solution for a range of wireless connectivity technologies. These include Bluetooth®, Bluetooth Smart and Wi-Fi®. Prototype demonstrations will be available to view at the Telematics Update event in Munich, November 11-12, 2013.
The partnership will deliver a robust, automotive grade connected platform for developing in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) solutions. It enables systems with features such as in-car internet, smartphone tethering via Mirrorlink, hot-spot support via Wi-Fi, wideband hands-free calling and CD-like audio streaming via aptX® over Bluetooth in addition to Bluetooth Smart support for emerging use cases such as keyless entry and temperature and pressure sensors. By collaborating, CSR and Mentor Graphics hope to significantly reduce OEM engineering efforts, allowing them more time to focus on differentiating their designs.
Introduced to the sector nine years ago, CSR Synergy is one of the most widely used connectivity solutions on the market, having been integrated into many infotainment and telematics platforms by Tier One suppliers. The solution is continually updated to add the latest Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart and Wi-Fi use cases. It is also regularly tested to ensure the highest levels of device compatibility with the latest smartphones.
“Consumers expect in-vehicle wireless connectivity from whatever segment of the market they’re buying from,” says Thomas Carmody, Head of Connectivity Marketing at CSR. “In addition, new wireless connectivity use cases continue to emerge, putting extra pressure on OEMs to deliver these features in an ever reducing market window. CSR recognizes the need to collaborate where possible with other leading companies in the automotive infotainment market to reduce the engineering burden required to support wireless connectivity. With IVI designers moving to standard open source platforms such as GENIVI Linux, we believe the combination of our high performance Bluetooth and Wi-Fi solutions with Mentor Graphics’ ATP will ensure our customers in the automotive market meet and exceed consumer demand.”
Delivering wireless connectivity has become a key standard for car makers looking for market-differentiating innovation in IVI systems. The global Bluetooth attach rate is expected to be 65 percent in 2014 while the Wi-Fi attach rate is expected to be 17 percent in the same timeframe, with the take-up for both technologies expected to grow even further1. With such a difference in the connectivity attach rates, IVI designers need to have a connectivity solution that is capable of covering the wireless connectivity requirements for a number of automotive segments. CSR connectivity devices and supporting CSR Synergy software are designed with this requirement in mind. Connectivity technologies, Bluetooth profiles and use cases can be added and removed easily without the customer investing significant engineering efforts after the initial deployment of the solution.
Scot Morrison, General Manager of Run-Time Solutions for Mentor Graphics Embedded Division, comments: “Given the accelerated pace and complexity of automotive infotainment system development, both CSR and Mentor Graphics have recognized the need to minimize the effort for OEMs in this area. We believe this collaboration will lay the foundations for a solid infotainment proposition. CSR has an exciting roadmap of high performance hardware and software solutions that will extend the features of current-generation IVI into Telematics, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity.”
Notes to editors:
Support for aptX is embedded in CSR connectivity devices and is only available today in CSR8350™ and CSRC9300™ chipsets.
About CSR
CSR is a global provider of innovative silicon and software solutions for the location-aware, media-rich, cloud-connected world. Our platforms are optimized for the automotive navigation and infotainment, digital cameras and imaging, connected home infotainment and wireless audio markets. We provide solutions to complex problems in the audio-visual, connectivity and location technology domains across a broad range of markets, with a technology portfolio that includes GPS/GNSS systems, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, FM, NFC, aptX® and CVC™ audio codecs, JPEG, MPEG, H.264 imaging, PDL printing, microcontrollers, DSPs and broadband receivers. CSR's technology solutions and market platforms enable its customers to deliver a superior user experience and are adopted by leaders in the auto, computer, home and mobile markets. More information can be found at www.csr.com. Keep up to date with CSR on our technical blog or CSR people blog, YouTube, Facebook or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CSR_plc.
CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains certain statements (including statements concerning plans and objectives of management for future operations or performance, or assumptions related thereto) that are not historical facts and constitute ‘forward looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 in relation to CSR’s Synergy® connectivity software solutions and aptX® codec technology, and their performance characteristics in automotive use, car applications and other consumer electronic products, and other future events and their potential effects on CSR. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as ‘will,’ ‘can deliver,’ ‘offers,' 'allows,' 'to enhance,’ ‘enables,’ 'designed to' and other similar expressions regarding the performance characteristics of CSR’s Synergy® connectivity software solutions and aptX® codec technology, and their performance characteristics in consumer electronics products, and their potential effects on CSR. Any future release of CSR’s Synergy® connectivity software solutions and aptX® codec technology or consumer electronics products containing such technology, related products or modifications to such products’ capability, functionality or features are subject to ongoing evaluation by CSR and its customers, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by CSR or its customers and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. Such forward-looking statements represent the current expectations and beliefs of management of CSR, and are based upon numerous assumptions regarding CSR’s business strategies and the environment in which CSR will operate and therefore involve a number of known and unknown risks, contingencies, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of CSR, including, but not limited to, those detailed from time to time in CSR’s periodic reports (whether under the caption Risk Factors or Forward Looking Statements or elsewhere), which are available at the SEC’s web site http://www.sec.gov. Each forward looking statement speaks only as of the date hereof. CSR does not undertake to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward looking statements contained herein, otherwise than required by law.
Bluetooth® and the Bluetooth logos are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and licensed to CSR.
Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access®, WPA®, WPA2®, Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ and Wi-Fi Multimedia™ are trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Other products, services and names used in this document may have been trademarked by their respective owners.
1 Strategic Analytics – Automotive Electronics Metrix Live report dated April 2013
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