Continental Automotive Announces Three-Year Chicago Auto Show Sponsorship

CHICAGO, Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental, one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, announced today a three-year sponsorship commitment with the Chicago Auto Show that will allow the company to showcase its advanced powertrain, safety, connectivity and infotainment technology with automakers, global media and more than 1.2 million consumers annually.

In 2011, Continental will focus on technology and products developed in Deer Park, Ill., the global headquarters of the Infotainment & Connectivity Business Unit.  Teams there develop products that use sophisticated software and hardware to change the way drivers and passengers interact with their vehicles and to connect vehicles to each other and the world around them.

"With 600 employees working in Deer Park, Chicago is our hometown auto show and we're proud to support such a great showcase of the best in automotive design and technology," said Kieran O'Sullivan, executive vice president of Continental's global Infotainment & Connectivity Business Unit. "Our company traces its local roots to the first commercially successful car radios, introduced by Motorola in the 1930s.  Today, our teams are at the vanguard of multimedia, connectivity and telematics technology, and we are aggressively recruiting new software and hardware engineers to work in Deer Park on programs to make driving more enjoyable, safer and cleaner."

Continental, which acquired Motorola's automotive electronics business in 2006, launched RESCU, its first telematics product, in the 1996 Lincoln Continental, built by Ford Motor Company.

Today, Continental supplies key components for General Motors' OnStar system, Ford SYNC, and it is developing the Blue Link system with Hyundai Motor America.  

All told, Continental has helped deliver more than 22 million connected vehicles worldwide, and it is developing several new advanced multimedia and telematics platforms that showcase the almost unlimited potential of in-vehicle electronics to improve the driving experience, including:

AutoLinQ™: What you need, where you need It

The Continental AutoLinQ™ Connected Services Platform is the world's first automotive-grade head unit capable of downloading Android applications.  Continental has designed AutoLinQ working with some of the biggest names in the consumer electronics industry – Deutsche Telekom, INRIX, NAVIGON, NAVTEQ and Ygomi – to design Android-based applications for the system that enhance vehicle safety, performance and convenience. To learn more about AutoLinQ, visit www.autolinq.net.

Continental Multi Media Platform (MMP)

Continental's MMP is a scalable hardware solution that includes radio, CD/DVD player, navigation and many additional interfaces to connect consumer electronic devices. It is built on the Microsoft Windows Embedded Auto platform, which makes it easily upgradeable and, therefore, will help "future-proof" vehicles and bridge the development cycles between the automotive and consumer electronics industries.

An entry-level version of MMP is expected to provide a radio; hands-free calling utilizing Bluetooth wireless technology; access to online services like Internet radio; and the ability to easily connect and play personal music collections via portable devices such as USB or SD cards.

An advanced version, called MMP High, will integrate all the basic features in MMP Entry and also include a high-tech navigation system that utilizes Microsoft's BING Online Search and NAVTEQ Traffic™ to provide real-time traffic information. Both versions of Continental's MMP are based on advance hardware and a System on Chip Architecture concept. 

About Continental

With annual sales of more than euro 25.5 billion for 2010, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently employs approximately 149,000 in 46 countries.

The Automotive Group:

The Automotive Group, with its three divisions (Chassis & Safety, Powertrain and Interior), achieved sales of approximately euro 12 billion in 2009. The Automotive Group is present in more than 130 locations worldwide. As a partner of the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, it develops and produces innovative products and systems for a modern automotive future, in which cars provide individual mobility and driving pleasure consistent with driving safety, environmental responsibility and cost efficiency.

To learn more about Continental AG and its Automotive Group, visit the websites at: www.continental-corporation.com and www.continental-automotive.com

SOURCE Continental