WindowsForDevices.com Apr. 28, 2003 On the heals of its release of Windows CE .NET 4.2 at last week's Embedded Systems Conference, Microsoft today unveiled the Windows Automotive 4.2 operating system in Europe. The CE .NET based platform is intended to "fit every price range and car model [and] allow drivers and passengers to take their mobile lifestyle on the road," Microsoft said in its announcement. Data from a Microsoft-sponsored survey reportedly indicates that 60% of consumers want hands-free communication, real-time traffic updates, and turn-by-turn directions in the car, and that 85% of US cell phone owners and 50% of US PDA owners operate their devices while in the car. Microsoft said Windows Automotive 4.2 is its first automotive-specific platform that natively supports voice- and data-enabled Bluetooth and the .NET Compact Framework, features that Microsoft expects will drive capabilities such as hands-free communication, web access, maintenance and diagnostics, wireless synchronization of data with mobile devices, and interaction among various mobile devices. "This new platform marks a milestone in the advancement of our initiative to enable the connected car," commented Dick Brass, Microsoft's vice president of technology development charged with overseeing the company's automotive efforts. "Working with industry partners, we can continue to bridge the connectivity gap and develop safe, reliable, advanced in-car communication systems that will enable consumers to use their drive time wisely and bring new revenue streams to automakers." Microsoft said its Windows Automotive platform includes Bluetooth version 1.1 and IEEE 802.11 and 802.1x wireless technologies, along with rich multimedia content delivery capabilities including the Windows CE version of its Internet Explorer 6.0 web browser. The Speech Application Programming Interface (SAPI) 5.0 along with customizable developer tools and driver distraction controls help ensure that device functionality does not interfere with drivers' ability to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel, the company said. Brass was in Munich, Germany today, introducing Microsoft's telematics offerings at the second Microsoft European Automotive & Telematics Conference. Other speakers included executives from several of the world's top automakers, including DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Fiat, Citroen, Volkswagen, PAG, General Motors, and others. In addition, Microsoft said it has been working with more than 30 world-wide automotive suppliers who are developing telematics systems, including Clarion, Denso, Kenwood, Sanyo Multimedia Tottori, and Yazaki, and that the 2003 Honda Accord is the most recent vehicle added to Microsoft's expanding list of 17 models on the road from eight car manufacturers, including BMW, Citroen, Fiat, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Toyota, and Volvo.