Tata Motor ties up with Harman for its in-car infotainment systems
Tata Motors has tied up with Harman to deliver next generation infotainment solution on its recently unveiled Bolt and Zest models as well as its future lineup of cars. Harman also has developed a made for India infotainment system at its R&D centres in Bangalore and Pune with support from its global centres in Shanghai and Germany. The infotainment system boasts of a wide range of features such as 5-inch touch screen, Bluetooth technology, Smart voice recognition, social media integration and touch phone controlled interface and will be part of Tata's ConnectNext package.
Harman infotainment system in the Tata Zest
Smart phone integration has been optimized with internet radio, podcasts and phone enabled navigation and also a feature which communicates with installed mobile phone applications opening up a whole new world of possibilities. These systems are also future proof which means that new applications can be installed and old applications can be removed so that you are always updated with the current market trends. Harman as part of its tie up with Tata Motors will offer the latter's customers a better acoustics experience which will consist of headphones and microphones as well.
In the near future, the entire Tata Motors car line up will have Harman infotainment systems.
Ankush Arora, Sr. VP, passenger vehicle business unit, Tata Motors, said "Recognizing the dynamic consumer world where connectivity is an increasing need for all, Tata Motors has associated with HARMAN for designing the infotainment package for our next generation cars, starting with the Zest and the Bolt. With ConnectNext, we aim to deliver a new level of driving and ownership experience as users from their own smart device, can not only enjoy superior quality of entertainment, control the deliverance of all ergonomics, acoustics and climatic needs, but also get access to outside world seamlessly, with a touch. Forming the core of the ConnectNext experience is the all-new HARMAN infotainment system with first-in-class features that will allow the car users to stay connected with friends, family and the world. We are delighted to work with HARMAN to offer best-in-class infotainment features and hope to take our in-car tech features to the next level."
Tata Motors rides with HARMAN
| Next generation HARMAN Infotainment system to power Tata new car launches BOLT & ZEST New Delhi March 5, 2014 Tata Motors' brand new cars launched in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show 2014, will feature next generation infotainment system designed and built by HARMAN. After two years of intense development driven from the HARMAN R&D centers in Bangalore and Pune, supported by the global centers in Shanghai & Germany, HARMAN is proud to present a made-for-India Infotainment system that takes in-car connectivity to the next level. Tata Motors unveiled two all-new cars at Geneva the sporty, dynamic premium hatchback, BOLT and the classy sedan, ZEST, that look to redefine the passenger car market with new design aesthetics, segment-defining drive experience and high-tech Infotainment system. HARMAN's infotainment system reflects TATA's ConnectNext principle, a paradigm shift in the human-machine interface and in how end-users connect with their cars and to the outside world. The launches in 2014 are equipped with 2 variants a connected radio with enhanced GUI experience through a display and a multi-media navigation-ready 5 inch infotainment colour display. Moving forward with the recent launches from Tata Motors, HARMAN infotainment systems will provide entertainment, navigation, and connectivity for the company's entire range of passenger cars. "HARMAN is delighted with our long term association with Tata Motors and with the infotainment and acoustics experience, we are excited to offer tremendous value to the Indian automotive consumer. Our mutual goal is to provide customers a rich connected driving experience, which will play a central role in realizing the new vision of connected cars at Tata Motors," said Mr. Lakshmi Narayan, Country Manager and Managing Director, HARMAN India. From the year 2009, Tata Motors and HARMAN have been exploring various platforms and strategy for their car division. In early 2012, Tata Motors and HARMAN entered into a partnership to develop a class-leading infotainment & acoustics experience for cross carline needs of Tata Motors. This partnership has grown in strength since 2009 when HARMAN entered the automotive space in India. According to Mr. Ankush Arora, Senior Vice President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit (Commercial), Tata Motors, "Recognizing the dynamic consumer world where connectivity is an increasing need for all, Tata Motors has associated with HARMAN for designing the infotainment package for our next generation cars, starting with the Zest and the Bolt. With ConnectNext, we aim to deliver a new level of driving and ownership experience as users from their own smart device, can not only enjoy superior quality of entertainment, control the deliverance of all ergonomics, acoustics and climatic needs, but also get access to outside world seamlessly, with a touch. Forming the core of the ConnectNext experience is the all-new HARMAN infotainment system with first-in-class features that will allow the car users to stay connected with friends, family and the world. We are delighted to work with HARMAN to offer best-in-class infotainment features and hope to take our in-car tech features to the next level." HARMAN's premium infotainment unit will deliver Tata car drivers a seamless connected experience in the car, combining Internet connectivity, advanced voice recognition, enhanced navigation and productivity applications - all safely and intuitively - allowing drivers to easily stay connected to the world around them. HARMAN's modular software and hardware architecture allows the reuse of functional blocks, from mid to entry level in a cross platform approach, ensuring the Infotainment system is designed to cost and appeal. In addition, with its scalable platform, the system is also "future-proof" and is built to add/remove industry relevant apps easily as new apps are made available. For example, Samsung Drive Link, MapmyIndia navigation or a brand new social networking application can be interchanged as per customer preferences; ensuring new offerings are available to customers on demand. Key innovative infotainment system features include: 5-inch touchscreen supporting rich multimedia experience Support for a diverse range of Multimedia devices over various connectivity mediums including USB, Bluetooth, Auxiliary audio and advanced Smart phone integration. Advanced Bluetooth technology Smart voice recognition Social media integration and touch phone controlled interface. Industry leading smartphone integration supporting phone enabled navigation, internet radio and podcasts for a rich and seamless connected driving experience. Communication with apps residing on the smartphone opens a gamut of possibilities to extend functionality of the system and keep pace with the relevant trends in the mobile world. For example, the infotainment system will support smartphone based remote control for rear seat passengers and Smartphone based Navigation screen mirroring implemented using HARMAN proprietary technologies in conjunction with our partners. HARMAN audio system will offer TATA customers an unmatched listening experience with our acoustics solutions including microphones and speakers. HARMAN at Geneva Motor Show 2014: Visit HARMAN during the Geneva Motor Show 2014 at its joint booth 6240 with Rinspeed in hall 6 for a demonstration of HARMAN's portfolio of infotainment and in-car audio solutions. | |
