Microsoft Technology Hits the Road in BMW 7 Series

Microsoft Navigates the Automotive Industry, Enhances the Driver Experience
March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced that the BMW 7 Series, the line of cars introduced last month in the United States, features Microsoft's robust, real-time embedded operating system, Windows CE. This announcement comes shortly after Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit launched Windows CE for Automotive v3.5, the newest version of its telematics software platform based on Windows CE, and announced an end-to-end solution to enable the auto industry to cost-effectively implement and maintain advanced automotive telematics.

Siemens VDO Automotive AG, the preferred navigation supplier of BMW, is using the Microsoft Windows CE operating system in the Control Display, which is part of the innovative BMW iDrive concept. Microsoft's technology is available to BMW motorists worldwide, delivering an advanced in-car computing experience.

"When we heard about BMW's telematics vision, we knew the exceptional quality in Microsoft technology would fit hand-in-hand," said Bob McKenzie, general manager of Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit. "The iDrive concept is a unique one, and we're proud to power the graphical user interface in the Control Display."

The iDrive concept and the Control Display enable easy operation of, and convenient access to, the myriad of features at the driver's disposal, including the navigation, telephone, climate control and entertainment systems. This presents a bold new concept for interaction between the driver and automobile. The BMW 7 Series was launched in Germany in fall 2001. It is now available in North America and will be available in other markets this spring.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the World Wide Web on the BMW home pages at http://www.bmwusa.com/ , http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/ and http://www.miniusa.com/ .

For more information on Microsoft Windows CE for Automotive: http://www.microsoft.com/automotive/

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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.