ACCESS CO., LTD today announced the launch of ACCESS Twine™ for Car 2.0, a unique solution that combines a white-labelled content streaming service with an infotainment services platform, enabling OEMs to brand and personalize each journey. ACCESS Twine for Car 2.0 will make its worldwide debut at SAE International Connect2Car at CES 2019 (Las Vegas, January 8, 2019).
Key new features include a refreshed, expandable human-machine/user interface (HMI/UI) and an aggregated in-car Electronic Program Guide (EPG) for both Android and Linux. To guarantee the highest level of usability, Twine for Car 2.0 also supports journey related ‘car retail’ services such as fuel and parking payments.
Built on the existing ACCESS Twine™ for Car solution launched in April 2018, the new solution provides the building blocks to enable automakers to protect their brands while evolving vehicles into fully personalized connected media hubs, and provide road users with an additional layer of ease and convenience.
“The automotive industry is innovating at a faster pace than ever before, with a focus on electric and autonomous cars. This provides the opportunity for automakers to deliver rich information, media and entertainment services and enhance their brand engagement with their customers. As always, ACCESS is at the forefront of these innovations. ACCESS Twine for Car 2.0 enables the creation of unique & branded entertainment offerings enabling deployment of connected infotainment services today,” said Dr. Neale Foster, CEO at ACCESS Europe.
ACCESS Twine™ for Car is a flexible multimedia content service for automotive manufacturers that includes software components, video and audio content rights and consulting expertise. It has been developed to bridge the gap between the automotive and content industries and increase the safety, comfort and flexibility of content consumption for drivers and passengers in the unique in-car environment. It is designed to help automakers protect their brands while embracing new connected services and extending their reach to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environments. Media can still be enjoyed through the car entertainment system, but consumers can now also connect to the car’s Wi-Fi hotspot via their mobile device, enabling them to listen to and watch their preferred entertainment services.
Driving towards a smarter world
ACCESS Twine™ for Car 2.0 has been expanded to offer next generation infotainment services leveraging in-car connectivity. Taking multimedia libraries to the next stage, the platform aggregates all content types stored on devices connected to the in-car Wi-Fi and online streaming services to provide a user-friendly, centralized platform for all content. The platform also simplifies the integration of information services such as news, weather, stock and flight status to help users interact with the wider world from their seat.ACCESS Twine for Car 2.0 now also supports complementary services such as parking and fuel payment. Mirroring the user experience consumers have become accustomed to in the home, the platform provides a simple, centralized way for consumers to manage their personal calendars and purchase services directly via the service. Leveraging the increasingly varied connected features cars provide, ACCESS Twine for Car 2.0 also integrates location-based services: using the platform, consumers can search for nearby parking, shops and retailers, and even in-store promotions.
To offer consumers faster and easier access to entertainment options, the audio & video OTT streaming feature has been expanded with a car-friendly EPG that provides information about each of the programming options. Multi-zone playback has been extended to also support rear-seat entertainment on BYOD. As the variety of devices brought into the car increases, security options have been extended to support DRM for content and to work with advanced security platforms for safety in a BYOD in-vehicle environment.
ACCESS works with Tier 1s, studios, broadcasters, content rights owners, consultants, the legal profession, licensing and collecting societies, Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology and infrastructure providers to help make the next generation of compelling in-car services a reality. Content protection remains a high priority for studios and broadcasters, and ACCESS Twine for Car ensures automakers’ services are compliant by supporting end-to-end protection of their assets.
ACCESS Twine for Car 2.0 features include:
- Updated HMI/UI enabling new features to be added and promoted quickly
- A wider, globally available movie catalogue
- Audio & video OTT streaming with an EPG providing access to live radio and TV, alongside catch-up and on-demand content
- Whole car media library indexed across all enabled devices connected to the in-car Wi-Fi
- Multi-zone playback, now available both on built-in head unit and rear seat entertainment, extended to personal smartphones and tablets
- Parental control
- Information services, such as news, weather, stocks, flight status, that can be added to any cloud-based service
- Convenience services such as parking & fuel payments, and the ability to offer additional retail services applicable to in-car usage
- Location based services, such as nearby parking, shops and retail offers
- DRM protection for studio and streamed content
- Additional focus on platform security to ensure safety in a BYOD in-vehicle environment
- OTT delivery independent from broadcast infrastructure
