MeeGo and Atom to be used onboard Chinese automobiles

During the IDF 2010 show in Beijing, Intel announced a partnership with the automobile manufacturer Hawtai for an infotainment system built on an Atom processor and the MeeGo platform.

The ambitious goals set for the open source MeeGo platform go a lot further than Smartphone’s and connected mobile products. These will also be integrated into general public electronic systems and onboard systems.

On this front, Intel highlighted that a partnership had been agreed upon during the IDF 2010 show in Beijing with the Chinese automobile manufacturer Hawtai, with the aim being to develop an onboard entertainment system based on the Atom processor, operating on the future MeeGo platform.

"We are directly working with local companies in China to be able to offer the best connected solutions for cars, houses and companies so as to provide the required infrastructure for a faster and more mobile Internet experience", states Doug Davis, vice-president and manager of Intel’s Embedded & Communications division.


Atom for embedded applications
his also provides a general outline for a future SoC (System on Chip) that Intel is working on. With the code name Tunnel Creek, the aim is for this to be adapted to onboard applications like infotainment systems for automobiles and new generation IP media telephones based on the Atom processor.

The system should also allow manufacturers to be able to directly connect to the SoC’s electrical components via a PCI Express link, offering design flexibility that should lead to a reduction of costs.

The Chinese manufacturer Hawtai will also offer an Atom based infotainment system using the MeeGo platform in their luxury B11 sedan. By using existing MeeGo applications, "this will allow us to reduce software development costs while also allowing for additional services to be quickly and efficiently deployed", states Wan Dian Ming, vice-president of HawTai.