Marvell, Harman to bring advanced Wi-Fi connected solutions to automotive industry

SANTA CLARA, USA: Marvell, a leader in integrated silicon solutions, and HARMAN, the global automotive audio and infotainment leader are enabling automakers to offer integrated Wi-Fi connectivity via award-winning Marvell Mobile Hotspot (MMH) technology.

The 2010 Audi A8 is the first automobile on the market to feature a factory-installed mobile hotspot, representing a significant milestone for in-car Internet technology. The 2010 Audi A8 with MMH technology is now available in Europe.

Marvell and Harman Automotive integrated MMH technology into the Audi vehicle through a built-in WLAN module, enabling high speed online and internet access via cellular link or Bluetooth connected mobile devices. The MMH technology implements a full-featured, WLAN access point integrated entirely on the wireless chip.

The technology integrated into Harman connectivity system realizes a full-featured local Wi-Fi mobile hotspot within the vehicle, giving passengers access to Web-based services. Up to eight devices can be supported, from Smartphones to high-performance tablets and other advanced mobile devices like Wi-Fi enabled digital cameras, laptops and portable gaming devices.

"I believe today's consumers want the convenience of seamless connectivity and live content whenever and wherever they choose -- whether in the home, office, classroom or automobile. Marvell is proud to be the industry driver of this new 'connected mobility' revolution," said Weili Dai, Marvell's Co-founder and Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer and Computing Business Unit.

"Harman's solution for the Audi A8 sedan is a perfect example of using Marvell's live, always-on technology to bring the car fully into the broader connected ecosystem. Marvell's connectivity technologies transform the car into a mobile office and entertainment center, making accessible everything from productivity tools to passenger gaming and live media experiences. Finally, the car is connected to the rest of our lives."

"We are pleased to partner with Marvell in extending a key component of the mobile office concept to our customers through this milestone application," said Sachin Lawande, Harman Chief Technology Officer and Co-President, Automotive. "We are committed to providing a comprehensive in-car experience in cooperation with leading automakers, and the mobile Wi-Fi innovation takes this to a new level."

Marvell's unique Wi-Fi software architecture is optimized for extremely low power consumption on battery-powered consumer electronics, enabling passengers to connect to the vehicle's network without affecting the battery life of their connected devices. MMH technology provides a secure Internet connection with standard 802.11 WPA2 authentication and data encryption mechanisms.