Ericsson and Parrot team up with Bluetooth in cars

Jul 22, 2003 - Ericsson Technology Licensing has signed a licensing agreement with Parrot, a provider of Bluetooth products for the automotive market. The license covers Ericsson's new Bluetooth baseband core, which holds the complete range of mandatory Bluetooth version 1.2 features.

The Ericsson Core Bluetooth Baseband Platform Q-E1 is based on the Bluetooth v1.2 specification with for example better voice and audio quality and improved coexistence with other wireless technologies. Parrot will use Ericsson's Core Baseband to develop their own system-on-a-chip (SoC), Parrot5, to be used in Parrot's next generation Bluetooth products. Parrot also has an option to license Ericsson's full portfolio of software and all profiles suitable for the automotive industry.

"We regard Parrot as a unique and important partner, due to their integrating capabilities as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), combined with their ability to develop system-on-a-chip for the Bluetooth market," says Maria Khorsand, President of Ericsson Technology Licensing. "Parrot is a pioneer and a major player in the automotive segment with handsfree products already on the market for numerous car manufacturers."

"Designing our next generation of chipset Parrot5 with Ericsson's Baseband Core allows us to bring a cost effective solution to the market in a very short time" says Nicolas Besnard, CTO of Parrot.

"We appreciate that Ericsson has long experience and dedication to Bluetooth and that they feel responsible for their solutions all the way to the consumer market, says Henri Seydoux, CEO of Parrot."

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.

Ericsson Technology Licensing
Ericsson Technology Licensing develops state-of-the-art Bluetooth design solutions optimized for mobile communication, computing and media devices. As a major driving force behind the Bluetooth initiative, we have been instrumental in the development of Bluetooth wireless technology from a simple idea into a widely acclaimed industry standard. Our complete portfolio of IP Cores for Bluetooth baseband and radio together with a complete Bluetooth software package, qualification services, training and design services provides semiconductor and original equipment manufacturers the fastest, most reliable course for implementing Bluetooth wireless technology in new products.

Parrot
Based in Paris and founded in 1994 by Henri Seydoux CEO, Parrot S.A. is one of the profitable, fast-growing companies that have emerged from the "start-up" generation. Since its beginnings, Parrot's core competence has been the technologies for embedded noise-robust voice recognition and signal processing, with applications in mobile computing and mobile communications for cars. Parrot has assembled all the expertise required to quickly turn its ideas into products, from the development of signal processing algorithms and application software, to the design of dedicated chipsets. Parrot offers a wide range of handsfree products for the distribution, the after-market and the original equipment. More information: www.parrot.fr