Broadcom Announces Automotive Bluetooth Software Stack for Seamless In-car Android Connectivity

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

News Highlights:

• Proven Bluetooth software stack targets large and fast-growing Android device market
• Delivers significant improvements in audio quality for hands-free calling and streaming music
• Integrated Bluetooth Smart Ready technology syncs easily with wearable devices

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131205/SF27844 )

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced a new Automotive Bluetooth^® software stack, enabling seamless in-car connectivity with Android-powered devices.  As an extension to the company's Bluetooth software stack (Bluedroid) contribution to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), Broadcom's Android Automotive Bluetooth software ensures seamless, end-to-end interoperability between in-car applications and mobile Android devices. For more news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom.

Android has captured ~80 percent market share in global smartphone shipments¹ and demand for automotive device connectivity is on the rise. Until now, the fragmentation of Bluetooth software has resulted in poor audio performance and interoperability barriers across a range of devices. Broadcom's Android Automotive Bluetooth software removes these barriers, delivering a significant improvement in audio quality for hands-free calling and streaming music. Integrated Bluetooth Smart Ready technology syncs easily with wearable devices to monitor driver health and biometric indicators such as driver fatigue and blood alcohol content.

"The choice of in-vehicle technology is becoming more important as consumer demand for seamless mobile and wearable device connectivity continues to rise. Auto makers and tier one suppliers are looking for robust, feature-rich and flexible operating systems that are relatively painless and easy to deploy," said Richard Barrett, Broadcom Director of Wireless Connectivity. "Our Android Automotive Bluetooth software combines Broadcom's proven expertise in software development and widely deployed wireless connectivity with high performance profiles optimized for use in the evolving automotive environment."

"Open platforms continue their march forward in automotive with more and more car makers and tier one suppliers transitioning to open source platforms such as Android," said ABI Research VP Dominique Bonte. "The automotive industry is set for a number of dramatic paradigm shifts and the adoption of open source platforms is just one example. In this regard, the automotive industry can mirror and keep pace with trends in mobile."

About Broadcom Automotive Bluetooth Software Solutions
The interpretation of a standard such as Bluetooth can be understood and implemented differently across different devices.  Over the past decade, Broadcom has updated and refined its software to account for variations in device behavior.  By regularly participating in the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and UnPlugFests, Broadcom ensures interoperability between devices and across different product segments.  Broadcom's Automotive Bluetooth software stacks are also available for Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and Linux.

Key Facts & Market Drivers

• A growing number of auto makers have announced their intent to leverage Android operating systems²
• Every car will be connected by 2025³
• 50 billion devices will be connected by 2020⁴
• Android recently reached 1 billion activations – faster than any other OS platform in history⁵
• Revenues from Android smartphones used by mobile business customers expected to reach $92B by 2018⁶
• Automotive Bluetooth expected to remain the standard connection with mobile devices⁷

Key Features

• Allows auto makers to respond to new trends and reach the market more quickly
• Eliminates potential licensing and royalty fees when used with Broadcom silicon
• All Bluetooth related components run in a single process
• Integrated Bluetooth Smart Ready technology for connections to consumer wearable devices

Availability
Broadcom's Automotive Bluetooth software stacks for Android, RTOS and Linux are now available to qualified customers.  

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Resources
1 IDC Nov 2013
2 Forbes Jan 2013
3 GSMA Feb  2012
4 Ericsson Nov 2013
5 Android Headlines Nov 2013
6 ABI Research Nov 2013
7 Bluetooth SIG Jul 2013

About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500^® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom^® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything^®. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

Broadcom®, the pulse logo, Connecting everything^® and the Connecting everything logo are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU.  Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Mobile & Wireless