Clarion SmartAccess In-Vehicle Cloud Connectivity Systems Now Lets Drivers Search for Parking Spaces and Share Location in Real-time

Owners of cars with factory-installed or aftermarket Clarion SmartAccess in-car infotainment systems powered by Clarion can now search and compare prices for parking using Best Parking app, or share their location with friends and family using Glympse, directly from their car's infotainment screen

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Clarion

Nov 22, 2016, 08:30 ET

CYPRESS, Calif., Nov. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarion Corporation of America, a leader in consumer and commercial mobile electronics, announced today the addition of BestParking, a service designed to help drivers find and compare rates for short- and long-term parking, and Glympse, a developer of innovative location sharing app, to its cloud-based Smart Access™ platform.

Headquartered in Cypress, California, Clarion Corporation of America is a subsidiary of Japan-based Clarion Co., Ltd, which has been a consolidated subsidiary of the Hitachi Group since 2006. Clarion has been an international leader in car audio and electronics since 1940. The company is engaged in the research, development, engineering, design, manufacturing, sales and marketing of mobile entertainment, navigation, infotainment, communication, safety and security products for the automotive, marine, recreational vehicle, commercial fleet and heavy industry environments. Clarion has been the recipient of numerous excellence awards for design, innovation, support, manufacturing and product reliability from independent organizations. The company has marketing and sales affiliates in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Clarion is located on the web at www.clarion.com/us.

Drivers of new and current vehicles equipped with either a factory-installed or aftermarket system featuring Clarion's Smart Access cloud-based infotainment platform will now be able to access BestParking and Glympse directly from the screen of their vehicle without having to touch their smartphones.

"BestParking was created to help drivers find the best deals on convenient city and airport parking. We have robust coverage - 107 cities and 115 airports throughout North America – and over a million motorists who already rely on us each month to find the best parking spots at the lowest rates. However, pulling out the phone and searching for a place to park while driving isn't always the safest and most convenient thing to do," said Ben Sann, Best Parking Founder. "Adding the BestParking app to Clarion's Smart Access platform enables drivers using our service to easily and safely find and compare prices for parking near their location."

Glympse is a mobile service that allows GPS-enabled smartphone users to share their location via a Web-based map for a pre-set period of time with anyone they choose. With Glympse, users are in complete control and can choose who they want to share their location with, when and for how long.

"Our top priority for Smart Access is providing drivers a safer more convenient way to access their favorite apps while in the car and we are pleased to add BestParking and Glympse to the growing lineup of premium service apps offered by our Smart Access platform," stated Allen H. Gharapetian, Clarion's Vice President of Marketing and Product Planning. "With more cars hitting the roads with Smart Access equipped infotainment systems every day, we continue to strive to offer current and new Smart Access users a way to access popular services safely and conveniently from their car's center console."

Exclusive to Clarion, Smart Access is the world's most advanced and extensive cloud-based in-vehicle information access, analysis and sharing platform. Smart Access is designed to provide proactive real-time analysis of destination routes on the go, allows for customization of entertainment options, can be tailored to monitor status of the vehicle or the driver's driving style, and provides an easy, distraction-free way to use many popular smartphone apps while driving. For more information about Clarion's Smart Access platform, visit www.clarion.com.

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