(April 29, 2003) - Do consumers want hands-free communication, real-time traffic updates and turn-by-turn directions in the car? According to a recent survey, three out of five consumers are on board.* Responding to industry needs, Microsoft Corp. has released its fifth-version software platform for automotive suppliers and manufacturers, Windows Automotive 4.2. Based on Microsoft Windows CE .NET 4.2, Windows Automotive enables automakers to build devices that allow drivers and passengers to take their mobile lifestyle on the road.

Consumers want to be connected, even in the car. The survey revealed that 85 percent of U.S. cell phone owners use their cell phone and 50 percent of PDA owners use their PDAs while in the car.* Windows Automotive is Microsoft's first automotive-specific platform to natively support voice- and data-enabled Bluetooth and the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework. With these features, the automotive industry can provide motorists with hands-free communication, access to Web services such as news, weather and sports, diagnostic information for maintenance, and wireless synchronization of data with mobile devices, as well as functionality among many mobile devices.

Windows Automotive delivers a cost-effective platform for developers building in-car computing devices that range from the broad to the specific. It supports a wide range of features including wireless technologies such as Bluetooth version 1.1 and IEEE 802.11 and 802.1x. For multimedia functionality, the platform delivers rich media content and Web browsing with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 for Windows CE. The platform also provides safety features including hands-free communication with its Speech Application Programming Interface (SAPI) 5.0 as well as customizable developer tools and distraction controls to help drivers keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.

Microsoft is collaborating with more than 30 automotive suppliers around the world to build telematics systems, many of which will include the hardware, software, and services for both the embedded and aftermarkets.

* February 2003 Market Facts U.S. survey, sponsored by Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit