A dash of hi-tech

摘要

A state of 'Cold War' is said to exist between the car industry and the information technology sector, with car makers characterised as being on the eastern side of the divide. They know that technologies for in-car entertainment, voice-activated controls and others will help to make their vehicles a commercial success. But that means partnering with IT companies ― a sector that will not sit easily in the traditional automotive supply chain. Telematics services such as satellite navigation and internet access are slowly but surely finding their way into the top end of the market (see panel, page 23). But integrating the type of hi-tech electronic services people take for granted in their homes and offices into mass-production models has become a headache and a golden opportunity in equal measure for car manufacturers. Get it right and the potential for extra sales and new revenue streams is huge. Get it wrong, and they face seeing a perfectly good vehicle lose out to a better-equipped rival. Some even question whether the vast R&D push by car makers in the area will ever make money. But it seems they have no choice but to try.