Car Electronics Aftermarket Integration To Improve

CEA ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH “MOST” TO DEVELOP AFTERMARKET FRIENDLY GATEWAY

Arlington, Virginia, 4/4/2005 — The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced it is working with the Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) Cooperation to help solve challenges associated with aftermarket integration of in-vehicle electronics. CEA is working to develop a gateway interface for aftermarket products into the MOST network for cars.

Bringing the digital revolution to the car, the MOST network can be a fundamental backbone tying together all digital multimedia systems in vehicles. CEA predicts the MOST fiber-optic network will connect multimedia devices in 48 percent of cars worldwide by 2008. CEA is now leading an effort to develop a gateway into that network to ensure that aftermarket products will be able to interface with these vehicles.

“Every consumer has the right to replace or upgrade the consumer electronics in their vehicle,” said CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. “We believe working with the MOST Cooperation can help alleviate challenges to connectivity and support the rising sale of mobile video, navigation devices and aftermarket autosound equipment and provide consumers with more choices in determining their in-vehicle products.”

Some of the most common aftermarket upgrade challenges include: radios linked with climate controls, serial networks that require expensive adapters for audio and security upgrades, loss of features such as tire pressure monitoring and oil life expectancy displays if the radio is removed and a negative affect on automaker warranties. The CEA gateway would allow audio products to seamlessly connect to the MOST network with two-way controls that would eliminate these challenges.

“We see the car evolving from being a provider to an enabler of the entertainment experience and the consumer gateway is a key step in that direction” said Dr. Matthias Stuempfle, senior manager, System Architecture, DaimlerChrysler Research and Technology and member of the Steering Committee for the MOST Cooperation.

For more information, visit www.ce.org/mobile or http://www.mostcooperation.com/.

About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA’s members account for more than $121 billion in annual sales. CEA’s resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.

CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES – Defining Tomorrow’s Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.