The French carmaker has chosen its Citroën C4 Picasso to be the first Qeo-enabled car. The software will enhance interaction between the consumer’s car and personal devices that enter and leave the home (smartphone, tablet), or with devices staying within the home (such as set top box or TV). Hi-tech auto systems and components designer Magneti Marelli will deliver the software for the PSA entertainment and navigation platform.
Qeo, when integrated with Magneti Marelli software, bridges connectivity between car and home providing simple, secure and seamless communication between applications and devices. Its peer-to-peer, real-time and very lightweight characteristics allow for rapid development of highly innovative services by interconnecting devices, platforms and applications of all kinds.
The Qeo-enabled applications provide real-time updates about the distance between the car and the home, thus enabling home devices, such as HVAC or home entertainment systems, to react accordingly. For example, a driver can have the audio or a televised football game streamed to the car if he or she won’t arrive home until after the match has begun.
At the 2014 International CES, Technicolor will demonstrate seamless communication between a driver’s car, a second person’s smart phone and a third’s television. A father in his car invites his son, in another location, to join him for a visit to grandma. With the Qeo-enabled connectivity, the son’s “yes” results in re-routing the vehicle and determining a new time of arrival to see grandma, who has been alerted to the upcoming visit as well as when her guests will arrive.
Michel Rahier, President for Technicolor’s Connected Home Division, said: “Working with PSA Peugeot Citroën on this project affords Technicolor a world-class partner for demonstrating how our game-changing technology delivers value-added services for drivers. Qeo’s entry into the automotive world will further enable PSA to separate itself from the competition by offering innovative car applications to its customers.”
“We have selected Qeo because of its advanced technology and the ease of implementation into our in-car ecosystem, said Jean Marc Finot, Vice president of Research and Innovation for PSA Peugeot Citroën. “We are currently working on concrete commercial offers of enhanced features embedding Qeo, and we are eager to provide personal devices and home automation applications for existing and future PSA Peugeot Citroën models.”
The Qeo solution for the Citroën C4 Picasso, which is available only in Europe at this time, will initially operate from a smart USB stick, developed by Inrete, and plugged into a dashboard port. Eventually, it will be fully integrated into the vehicle’s communication and GPS system.
Roberto Zompi, Advanced Engineering Manager at Magneti Marelli Infotainment and Telematics said: “With our solutions we are making the Connected Car vision a reality. Qeo fits perfectly into our strategy since it’s enabling additional applications and services that improve the end user experience without adding complexity.
With this agreement, PSA joins the large ecosystem of partners who already selected Qeo, including IBM, Seagate, ST Microelectronics, Kudelski Group, Avanquest, Portugal Telecom, Telecom Italia, Shaspa, Intamac, and Inrete.
