Setting the standard

Automakers along with their supplier partners are now embracing many interfaces and protocols to enable compatibility with consumer-electronics devices as well as other advances.

The standardization that is a cornerstone in the success of many electronic technologies is moving into the automotive industry. Automakers who once shunned standards are adopting more of them quickly in some areas, slowly in others.

The need to link consumer-electronics (CE) devices to radio head units has forced automakers to adopt the interfaces commonly used in consumer products. They are also going beyond this necessary step, looking at consumer electronics to carry video data throughout the vehicles.

Availability of Technology in U.S. Car Models in 2008 and 2009