CES: Pioneer e Alpine portano Pandora sull'autoradio

Come c'era da aspettarsi, al CES di Las Vegas si parla - anche - di nuove radio. E una buona parte dell'azione si svolge a bordo dell'auto. Due marchi molto importanti per il car hi-fi come Pioneer e Alpine hanno annunciato i primi modelli di autoradio direttamente integrabili con Pandora, il servizio musicale via Web che negli Stati Uniti (per questione di diritti Pandora funziona solo negli USA ormai) spopola e toglie ascoltatori alla radio convenzionale. In realtà l'integrazione è per così dire indiretta: i nuovi modelli annunciati oggi sono in grado di "riconoscere" la presenza a bordo di un iPhone o di un iPod Touch e automaticamente si configurano per poterli controllare dal cruscotto, arrivando a visualizzare sul loro display le informazioni relative ai titoli e agli esecutori.
Uno degli aspetti più interessanti è l'intelligenza dimostrata da questi costruttori: considerando per esempio la nuova offerta di Pioneer, è chiaro che la strategia è quella della neutralità. AVIC-X920BT, sigla del sistema Pioneer, è una soluzione con molte faccie: fa da autoradio analogica e digitale (HD Radio), dialoga con iPhone per la musica di Internet e funge persino da navigatore GPS. Come che dire che qualunque sorgente di informazione o intrattenimento non viene osteggiata, ma integrata a beneficio dell'utente dell'autoradio. Che costa 1.200 dollari ma forse vale la spesa per chi se la può permettere. Il comunicato Pioneer che vi allego è molto eloquente e sottolinea come la casa giapponese si sta proponendo come piattaforma di aggregazione di servizi Internet anche per i dispositivi fabbricati dai concorrenti. La presenza di una funzione per la sintonia del sistema Ibiquity sembrerebbe una notizia positiva per i fautori della radio digitale. Ma non è detto: il focus, come si vede, è proprio sugli Internet Services.

Pioneer Opens Its Platform for Aggregation of Internet Services (PAIS) to Rival Connected Devices

Platform Enables Device Vendors to offer Consumers a Seamless Experience in the Car, at Home, and on the Go

Las Vegas, CES 1/6/2010 - Pioneer Corporation announced that it is opening its PAIS platform for connected devices to other device vendors. The PAIS platform is a device portal that normalizes the interface between the myriad of Internet services and connected devices. PAIS is designed to handle multiple device and application types including in-vehicle telematics, MIDs, TVs, home theater, and smartphone apps. By creating a common, stable method for accessing a wide array of constantly changing Internet service APIs, PAIS reduces the impact of service and API changes. By opening the PAIS platform, Pioneer is actively addressing the reality that consumers want their devices to work together, regardless of manufacturer.
PAIS is designed to meet the needs of device vendors, service providers, and consumers alike. Device vendors get a stable platform they can use to add Internet services to their devices without concern over inevitable services changes, and which allows them the potential to participate in service revenue. Content and service providers get a widespread, embedded platform to drive revenue. Consumers get a seamless home/car/work experience and peace of mind that their devices will continue to work with other services even if certain ones change or cease to be offered.
“Consumers want their devices to work together, so it is inevitable that single-vendor connected solutions will lose their interest,” said Akira Haeno, Senior Managing Director and Representative at Pioneer. “Our platform addresses this consumer need while at the same time addressing key device vendor needs of rapid deployment, differentiation, cost savings, and revenue participation.”
"The low power Intel Atom processor makes it possible to implement a rich Internet experience in a highly portable connected product. Pioneer's Internet service platform delivers a unique value proposition to device makers using Intel architecture. I believe it will help grow adoption and differentiation, especially in the automotive space," said Ton Steenman, VP, Intel Architecture Group and GM, Low Power Embedded Products Division, Intel.
“The core of differentiation in today’s consumer products comes from services and user experience,” said Mark Hirsch, Vice President at Inventec. “The PAIS platform allows our customers to rapidly innovate, transforming Internet services from a cost center into a revenue center.”
“People want to talk naturally to their devices, not be dragged through endless menu options, only to end up in ‘voice mail jail’. Our patented conversational voice technology gives people the experience they are looking for,” said Tom Freeman, Senior Vice President at Voicebox. “The PAIS platform will give us a broad reach into a wide variety of products, allowing us to grow our business more rapidly than we could on our own.”
The PAIS platform presents open-standard interfaces for voice UI, navigation and maps, local search, social networking, music & radio, and video & TV, among other services. These interfaces enable device vendors to add new service offerings quickly, eliminating the need for significant investment in proprietary solutions, and saving vendors from the pitfall of trying to guess the next “killer app.” The platform also enables a revenue share opportunity for device vendors, with the potential to receive a percentage of revenue generated from consumer subscriptions to basic and premium packages, as well as advertising.
Pioneer will be opening PAIS to early access device partners in mid 2010, targeting third-party products with first customer shipments planned for Fall 2010.