| November 12, 2004 |
| Press Release |
KENWOOD commercializes next generation, network-aware consumer multimedia system based on the Windows Automotive(R)* operating system.
User-friendly navigation and entertainment functions are included that meet the needs of the health and welfare industry.
A sales agreement has been concluded with Grafrg Corporation for the "HDM-777" first-generation unit, which has a wide applicability centering on welfare facilities for seniors.
| * | Windows and Windows Automotive are registered trademarks or trademarks of U.S.-based Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. |
| * | The official name of Windows is Microsoft Windows Operating System. |
Summary
KENWOOD Corporation (President: Haruo Kawahara, headquartered: Hachioji, Tokyo) has commercialized a new consumer automotive multimedia system based on the Windows Automotive(R) operating system. Its integrated design concept is "next generation networking as a result of KENWOOD's own research started last year through strategic investment in its core business of Car Electronics."
KENWOOD is pleased to announce its commercialization of the first generation "HDM-777" unit. A sales agreement has been initiated with Grafrg Corporation to sell this unit, which has wide applicability centering on the market for welfare facilities for seniors.
KENWOOD intends this new automotive multimedia system to anchor a new product initiative that integrates its home electronics and communications businesses, offering an "intelligent entertainment system" that achieves networking with home audio and other systems. The full-scale launch of the first product in this initiative is set for the first half of 2005.
The aim of the new series
To encompass the "Mobile & Home Multimedia System" space by fusing KENWOOD's core business with original technical developments
The development of digital & network technologies for automobiles has created vast potential for car audio and navigation systems. KENWOOD has built its brands into a presence that is well-known around the world, and this marketing ability has also unearthed hidden demand in the market that have informed this initiative. KENWOOD's product visualization and realization capabilities are centered on consumer products, and have enabled it to continually advance in the car electronics market since entering it in 1980.
KENWOOD has strived to expand into the fields of automotive navigation and multimedia and pursued core technologies through joint research and development with other companies. In February 2004, KENWOOD launched "Theater Navi," a hard disc based, AV-integrated car navigation system that has won the highest praise from the consumers. Theater Navi is a new type of concept product designed to be both convenient and entertaining, and was developed by creating a fusion of KENWOOD's unique high quality sound and other advanced technologies, and implementing a product strategy emphasizing hard disc based models.
KENWOOD's new automotive multimedia system is also a strategic model intended to drive increased sales among middle class customers, who have the primary purchasing power in the automotive navigation and multimedia markets. In order to commercialize its core navigation system, KENWOOD invested 2 years in rolling out a large-scale development project to nurture the unique technologies involved.
KENWOOD is the only manufacturer devoted to the three core businesses of automotive, home and wireless products, and in the future, the company intends to propose new "intelligent entertainment systems" networking automotive multimedia systems, portable and home audio systems, and personal computers, while continuing to develop this overall concept that integrates its three core businesses.
The concept of the new series
An automotive multimedia system that uses next generation networking to provide superior audio quality & functionality
The development of digital and networking technologies has extended to car electronics as well, so that it has become possible to develop an environment with real-time access to a variety of entertainment and information services, connecting to information networks beyond the vehicle and the home server. KENWOOD aims to create a totally new entertainment system by using an all-purpose interface that allows networking between personal computers and home or car electronics, as represented by the connection between mobile digital audio players and personal computers.
Using an HDD car navigation platform that offers superior navigation capabilities including high speed response and large volume map data storage, this new automotive multimedia system provides an integrated audiovisual multimedia space inside the vehicle cabin. The system features original technologies for high quality audio that KENWOOD has developed over the years since launching its "Theater Navi" initiative, as well as a special emphasis on the importance of a new, highly interactive and functional advanced the user interface. KENWOOD is working to develop entertainment resources accessible by personal computers and web sites over the network, as well as allowing networking with home and portable audio systems.
The first generation unit is designed for a limited number of users prior to launch of the full-scale sales campaign
KENWOOD has entered into a sales agreement with Grafrg Corporation that has a wide market applicability, centering on health welfare facilities for seniors
<HDD/DVD twin drive navigation system "HDM-777">
The KENWOOD automotive navigation system "HDM-777" achieves superior navigation functions such as HDD navigation, as well as superior entertainment capabilities using a twin drive with DVD.
Customers of Grafrg Corporation demand superior navigation functions since they are used in vehicles for health and welfare facilities for seniors, and they demand superior entertainment capabilities for passengers in the rear seats. As a result, KENWOOD entered into a sales agreement on "HDM-777" with Grafrg Corporation.
Grafrg Corporation covers a wide market for health and welfare facilities for seniors in 37,000 locations across Japan. Installing the "HDM-777" in vehicles owned by the welfare facilities will reduce the burden on the driver, while improving in-vehicle communication by using TV and DVD. This alliance plays a significant role in realizing Grafrg's corporate vision: "to build happiness for seniors."
[Grafrg Corporation profile]
| Company name: | Grafrg Corporation |
| Established: | December 15, 1990 |
| Capital: | 67,000,000 JPY |
| Business description: | Mail order and Internet sales for welfare facilities for seniors and their employees; and care and support of users Mail order and Internet sales for care and support of seniors/caretakers at home Providing care-related information utilizing fax and the Internet Planning/manufacturing products for care and support at welfare facilities for seniors |
| President and CEO: | Atsushi Yoshida |
| Address: | Alpha building 2F, 1-25-14 Higashi Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-0013 Phone: +81-3-3987-1241 Fax: +81-3-3987-1244 |
Product summary
The "HDM-777" is an automotive multimedia system that provides both superior navigation functionality based on a hard disc drive (HDD), and superior entertainment functionality based on a DVD drive. Since a large capacity 20GB HDD and DVD drive are mounted independently, you can quickly change destinations without changing map discs, while passengers in the rear seats simultaneously enjoy a DVD program.
In addition to the 7V-type touch panel TV monitor, large icons that are convenient for operations such as search are adopted. It is equipped with high search functionality such as the "When you are in trouble!" icon that quickly displays useful information on the nearest police station and hospital when you have a trouble during a drive and in case of emergency.
Major product characteristics
| 1. | Adopts "Windows Automotive(R)" software platform for automotive information terminals By selecting as the operating system Windows Automotive(R), a software platform for automotive information terminals, users can connect to home servers over an Internet connection and obtain various types of information. This system is a major component of the "next generation network." |
2. |
Independently mounts large capacity 20GB HDD and DVD drives A large capacity 20GB HDD forms the basis of the navigation system. This large storage volume is twice that of a DVD-ROM, and can contain more searchable data, including detailed maps of Japan and approximately 30 million home addresses and telephone numbers of potential destinations. The "HDD-777" includes a DVD drive as well that can play both DVDs and CDs. Since the HDD and DVD drives each are mounted independently, you can quickly change destinations without changing map discs, and this can be done while passengers are enjoying a DVD in the rear seats. |
3. |
Independent hard key buttons for superior interactivity with 7V touch panel TV monitor A touch panel that allows you to easily and intuitively operate the search and other functions has been added to 7V-type large TV monitor. The panel is also equipped with source-independent hard key buttons, volume keys, etc. on the left and right sides of the monitor, which allow the user to switch between "TV," "DVD (CD)" and "NAVI current location" modes by simply pressing a button. The intuitive operations are easily learned by most anybody and in this sense, it achieves user-friendliness and interactivity that fulfill KENWOOD's long-held goal of "achieving stress-free (operations)." |
4. |
Large icons that are easy to see and use, enabling intuitive operations A touch panel alone does not necessarily imply a system is truly user friendly. Since the user must be able to easily understand and select on-screen controls to operate a given function, if the Graphic User Interface (GUI) is hard to understand and handle, satisfactory use will not be possible. KENWOOD has spent years developing easy to use icons while building up knowledge in touch panels and GUIs, to make the HDM-777 easier to use and operate. |
5. |
User-definable "list of places I want to visit" can be saved You can search by telephone number for places you are interested in, such as shops and tourist spots introduced on TV and magazines, and save them in the HDM-777 memory. Since you can choose your destination in one touch operation at any time, it is very convenient to register routes and other navigational information. |
6. |
A "when you are in trouble" icon you can rely on during emergencies When you are having trouble during a drive, or in case of emergency, useful information such as the nearest police station and hospital can be quickly displayed. This system will also help you find rest rooms during a long-distance drive. |
7. |
3D display with enlarged intersections A "3D display with enlarged intersections" has been added that displays intersections as large, three-dimensional pictures, and provides voice guidance when you come to within 300 meters of an intersection so that you can make turns while receiving route guidance. |
8. |
Quickly captures traffic jam information It captures traffic jam information and notifies the driver both verbally and via graphic display to reduce frustration caused by traffic jams. |
9. |
Accepts 4 mainstream media formats in the DVD recorder You can play various disc formats including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW*, retail DVD software, and home DVD recordings, which have been rapidly growing in popularity. The drive is also compatible with older formats such as CD/CD-R/RW, and you can play MP3 and WMA audio files recorded on CD-R/RW discs. * Only compatible with discs recorded in DVD video format for both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW. |
KENWOOD's future strategy
KENWOOD intends to continually introduce advancements on the first generation unit mentioned above, bringing one new product after another to the consumer market. New offerings will include integrated management of music, map and other information through integrated networking with personal computers, such as portable HDD audio systems which KENWOOD plans to commercialize in the near future, as well as the introduction of new technologies such as voice synthesis.
For queries regarding this article, please contact:
Public Relations Office
KENWOOD Corporation (Japan)
Tel: +81-426-46-6724
Fax: +81-426-46-1440
Email: pr.qa@pr.kenwood.co.jp
Updated 04/11/22 (C) 2004 KENWOOD Corporation