DETROIT – Alpine Electronics of America has been providing mobile electronics since 1978, specializing in mobile multimedia and working directly with original equipment manufacturers as a tier-one supplier. By offering an integrated system approach, Alpine incorporates digital entertainment, security and navigation products within the vehicle. Its vision is to combine music, visual images and information to enable Alpine’s mobile multimedia systems to offer enhancements to the driving experience.
What exactly is a mobile multimedia system in Alpine’s vision? It relies on the convergence of high-performance audio, video, navigation and telematics in a single system. The functionality includes in-vehicle navigation systems, intelligent transportation systems, DVD players, Dolby Digital systems, satellite digital audio radio, mobile data linking and communication through telematics devices.
You might be wondering why the focus on trucks and SUVs? Alpine shared with me that this market generates $2.2 billion in annual revenue. Truck owners tend to own vs. lease their vehicles, keep them longer and do more to customize and upgrade them vs. car owners. The 9-inch screen shown in the video link below is aimed at this market. Not only does it integrate the in-vehicle diagnostic functionality, but also infotainment features provided by the head unit itself allowing later model vehicles to have many of the bells and whistles of a brand-new, off-the-showroom-floor model.
Today the focus is on the U.S. market, but international expansion is expected along with the integration of Apple Car Play functionality. In October Alpine announced an Apple Car Play A/V receiver for automobiles.
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Claudia Bacco, Managing Director – EMEA for RCR Wireless News, has spent her entire career in telecom, IT and security. Having experience as an operator, software and hardware vendor and as a well-known industry analyst, she has many opinions on the market. She’ll be sharing those opinions along with ongoing trend analysis for RCR Wireless News.
