Strategic move complements company's presence in over 20 million vehicles worldwide
HARMAN, the leading premium audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR), has announced plans to strengthen its technology leadership via next generation automotive multi-media products and services. The announcement was made recently by Dinesh C. Paliwal, Chairman, President and CEO of HARMAN International, during his visit to Dubai. Gaining widespread popularity for introducing the world's first car radio in 1949, the company has pioneered a continuing series of innovations in its automotive multi-media offerings like surround sound, DVD video, turn-by-turn and 3D Navigation, wireless connectivity and other driver safety features, with its products currently installed in over 20 million vehicles globally.
The move precedes a recent decision by Daimler AG to equip select new Mercedes Benz models with HARMAN's top-of-the-line in-car entertainment modules that incorporate wireless headphone technology from its AKG brand and complement the COMAND infotainment system. As a testament to the capacity of its scalable, next-generation infotainment platform to provide advanced connectivity, integrated on-board navigation and excellent audio tuning capabilities, HARMAN was also recently awarded a multi-year contract by the Chrysler Group to supply integrated infotainment equipment for all Chrysler and Fiat vehicles. Furthermore, HARMAN became the only company to be honoured twice in the prestigious Technical GRAMMY Award, in recognition of its contribution to the science of sound spanning over 60 years.
"We have made a conscious effort to invest heavily in engineering and R&D in order to launch these multiple platforms on time and on quality," said Dinesh Paliwal. "Our strong ties with leading automotive icons like Mercedes Benz and Chrysler and the awards that we have received not only reflect the company's strong attention to innovation and detail but also demonstrate our commitment to provide our customers with high quality multi-media equipment."
Building on its innovation in developing custom in-car audio, navigation, hands free communication, driver assist technologies, and energy-efficient performance audio systems for electric and hybrid cars, the company is also collaborating with Nokia and RIM to develop advanced technologies that can support wireless integration with smart mobile devices such as the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android-based smart phones. This includes an advanced speech processing technology, which will offer mobile office features to enable drivers to send and receive messages through e-mail, SMS and access calendar functions verbally for safety and convenience.
Further underling the company's technology leadership, HARMAN-equipped cars have earned several recent industry awards including the Hyundai Genesis Sedan (2009 Car of the Year, Detroit Auto Show), and the BMW 7-Series (2009 Most Technologically Advanced New Vehicle, iSupply). The company was also honoured by Ferrari with its 2008 Technology Award and by Mercedes-Benz by naming it one of its Top Ten Suppliers in early 2009. During the 2010 European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) awards, two HARMAN products - the Harman Kardon HKTS 60 home theatre speaker system and the JBL MS-8 car audio integration kit - won the prestigious 'Best Product' citation.
"We are very proud of what HARMAN has achieved and we owe all of these awards and achievements to the strong dedication of our employees and the consistent show of support from our loyal customers. All of our projects have been executed successfully despite the presence of a global financial crisis and other distractions. These are exciting times for us as we plan to roll out our latest line of products; the newest and most technologically advanced portfolio in the industry today, which will provide the majority of our automotive infotainment revenues in the long term," concluded Paliwal.
HARMAN's leadership in technology and innovation has also stepped into the consumer, home entertainment, and professional markets in the Middle East. Harman Middle East is well on its way to boost its regional market share in the premium audiovisual segment, which is currently at 60 per cent, with the company planning to open a total of 100 stores across the MENA within the next five to eight years. Backed by strong distribution ties with all major retailers in the UAE and the Middle East, the company offers a wide rage of products, including home theatres, multimedia systems, wired and wireless headphones, plasma and LCD TVs, car audio and navigation, among others, within its retail arm 'harman house'.
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About HARMAN
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets - supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon® Infinity® JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.4 billion for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2010. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE: HAR.
About Harman Middle East
Harman Middle East is a market leader in home, professional and car infotainment in the Middle East. Comprised of three key business lines - 'Retail', 'Distribution' and 'Projects Division' - the company offers home theatres, multimedia systems, wired and wireless headphones, plasma and LCD TVs, car audio and navigation from the world's leading audiovisual brands, including Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity, Samsung, AKG, Becker and MAFCO. The company was also involved in the installation of audio and video systems for Virgin Megastores in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, among other high profile clients. With local stores located in The Dubai Mall, Sheikh Zayed Road, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, Ibn Batuta Mall, Dubai Festival City, Deira City Centre and Al Nasr Square in Dubai; Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi; and Sharjah City Centre, the company also has two showrooms in KSA, one in Bahrain, and one in Qatar.
For more information, please contact:
CommuniGate Middle East
PO Box 66861, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 3988134
Fax: +971 4 3988137
Email: info@communigateme.com
Website: www.communigateme.com
© Press Release 2010
