Your future vehicle will be very different from what it is today – even three decades down the road. After all, when you look at cars from the 1980s, don’t you think they are absolutely archaic, and you might not even have expected to see devices like GPS navigation units in there? Well, Panasonic and mobile carrier AT&T are currently looking into the connected car concept through a variety of lifestyle projects, and initial testing for interfaces between in-car infotainment systems and emerging mobile devices will start later this year.
AT&T will of course, deliver the network services required while Panasonic Automotive Systems Company will offer the hardware and integration services. There is no word on how much both companies have agreen in terms of finances, but hopefully it will be a fair deal for both sides if it were to bring about any fruition.
“As today’s drivers spend increasing amounts of time on the road, they continue to seek vehicles that complement their ‘always-on’, hyper-mobile lifestyles. Automakers that successfully make vehicles that deliver smart, personalized services to drivers on demand have a tremendous opportunity to stand out from the competition. The most appealing vehicles will be those that serve as yet another node in a driver’s existing network of devices,” says Steve Deguchi, President of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America.