Supplier technology 2001

As automakers outsource more portions of the vehicle, suppliers are taking on more responsibility for developing increasingly complex systems. The following are some of the many supplier contributions to the latest passenger cars and minivans.

The 2001 Cadillac Seville and DeVille models offer Delphi's Communiport communication system. Sold as the optional Infotainment with Bose audio package, the voice-controlled system integrates full-function, color, map-based global positioning satellite navigation with radio, CD-ROM, compact flash memory, and audio playback.

Powered by the Microsoft Windows CE operating system, the Infotainment mobile media unit is commanded by voice and features text-to-speech technologies to read messages or e-mails. The system uses an infrared data-adapter port to exchange information with handheld devices such as personal digital assistants. The system also has a compact flash slot to expand memory and hot keys to access frequently used selections quickly.