In-Vehicle Streaming On the Road to Reality

A TV in your car? Old hat. How about streaming media services in your car? Nortel Networks and Redknee.com, a developer of wireless Internet and mobile communications applications, hope to make that a reality. The two companies have jointly developed AIME (Advanced Intelligent Mobile Entertainment), a prototype in-vehicle multimedia solution that delivers streamed wireless content and personalized information into intelligent vehicles.

The solution currently operates on a Nortel Networks third-generation (3G) trial network deployed in Paris, and is being demonstrated to wireless operators and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) license applicants. AIME is demonstrating live applications and services integrated into a standard mini-van to show how content and applications can be personalized and adapted to location.

It is expected that, with the advent of 3G networks, in-vehicle multimedia applications will find an increasing market demand. This in-vehicle solution will provide a wide range of user-defined content and services, including telematics, infotainment, mobile e-commerce, messaging, news services, traffic and weather information, and location-based advertising.

Such services could present a range of revenue opportunities for service providers. "Time-to-market delivery of innovative new applications is critical to the business success of 3G and UMTS service providers," said Duncan Ratcliffe, president of Redknee.com. "Combining Nortel Networks' wireless internet portfolio with Redknee's intelligent wireless internet solutions will allow both companies to open up new capabilities by making the Internet mobile-aware."