Cisco and NXP invest in Cohda, will work together to enable connected car

More than a year after NXP Semiconductors worked with Cohda Wireless to hook up cars via 802.11p, the chip maker has decided to invest in its partner with a little help from Uncle Cisco. While the PR is mum on the exact amount, the investment is apparently significant enough that all three companies are set to work together. Cohda's wireless knowhow, NXP's semiconductor chops and Cisco's vast infrastructure would join forces -- á la Voltron -- to help usher in the era of the connected car. By enabling car-to-car (C2C) and car-to-infrastructure (C2I) communications, drivers could avoid hazards, evade bad traffic and even form "trains" of vehicles on the road like what Volvo's demonstrated with its SARTRE project. No word on a timeline for when we'll see this on public roads, but automotive-qualified IEEE 802.11p products are said to be one of the trio's first goals, so hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later.

[Image credit: Creativity103, Flickr]

Show full PR text

Cisco, NXP Invest in Cohda Wireless
to Enable the Connected Car

Advancing Intelligent Transport Systems and Car-to-X Communication

Eindhoven, the Netherlands, January 4, 2013: Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) and NXP
Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) today announced that they have each made an
investment in Cohda Wireless to advance intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and car-
to-X communications. Cohda Wireless is a leading specialist in wireless communication for
automotive safety applications. Today's announcement brings together the expertise of the
three organizations to make the Internet of Everything a reality for the automotive industry,
creating a safer and more enjoyable driving experience while improving the traffic flow.

Car-to-Car (C2C) and Car-to-Infrastructure (C2I) communications enable active safety
systems that can affect 81 percent* of all crash scenarios, as a result helping to reduce
fatalities and injuries on the roads. In addition to improving safety, vehicle-to-infrastructure
(V2I) communication holds great potential for intelligent transport system (ITS) management
and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

This progress in traffic management and road safety can be realized with the help of
applications that warn of hazards such as the potential of a collision ahead, alerting if a
nearby vehicle is losing control, or of upcoming traffic congestion, and others – all enabled by
the combined expertise and technologies of the three companies.

By allowing vehicles to reliably interact with each other when travelling at high-speeds, each
vehicle can give drivers warnings about potential hazards and allow them to avoid accidents,
or even automatically respond to changing driving conditions faster than typical human
reaction times. Warnings about traffic blockages ahead also allow early re-routing to avoid
traffic congestion.

C2C and C2I communications require highly reliable and secure data exchange between
fast moving vehicles and infrastructure in a range of conditions – from rural highway to
dense urban canyons. NXP and Cohda Wireless have built a market-ready, flexible wireless
communication solution for onboard-units based on Cohda's existing advanced radio and
NXP's market-proven software-defined radio technology. This makes it a key element to
connect to Cisco's vision of a ubiquitous and highly-secure Internet of Everything.

Onboard and road side units developed using technologies from the three companies have
been tested to global standards in major field trials. In August 2012, the "Safety Pilot Model
Deployment" trial by the US Department of Transport was initiated, and other major field trials
include simTD in Germany, ScoreF in France, and ERP2 in Singapore.

The three companies will apply their collective expertise and technologies to help automotive
OEMs, suppliers, enterprises and consumers to connect vehicles with ITS infrastructure. This
will be spearheaded by producing the first automotive-qualified IEEE 802.11p products for
onboard and roadside units that are ready for C2C and C2I deployments across the globe.

Cohda's technology enhances wireless communications to quality levels far beyond
commercial off-the-shelf IEEE 802.11p transceivers, allowing cars to more effectively
"see" through obstacles or around corners. NXP, as global number one supplier of car

radio semiconductors and security chips, brings its software-defined radio platform and
ensures industry-ready data security, cost efficiency, form factor, power consumption, and
performance. Together, Cisco, NXP, and Cohda will develop a complete market-ready
solution for the automotive and ITS industry.

NXP will exclusively license the Cohda 802.11p technology together with its chipsets
as a one-stop shop to automotive customers. Cohda will be NXP's preferred partner for
automotive 802.11p reference designs.

Cisco is helping the automotive and transportation systems industries deliver new
functionality, enhanced safety and driver experience. By incorporating an intelligent network,
OEMs, suppliers, enterprises and consumers can benefit from intelligent transportation
systems, connected commercial fleets and smart connected vehicles.

*source: U.S. Department of Transportation, 2010: "Frequency of Target Crashes for
IntelliDrive Safety Systems"

Supporting quotes:

Maciej Kranz, VP / GM of the Connected Industries Group at Cisco: "We believe that amazing
things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected, and smarter vehicles
are one of the many ways in which we will fully experience the Internet of Everything. The
onboard solution is one element of an end-to-end architecture that integrates with Cisco's
offboard network infrastructure. Our ultimate aim is to bring about a safer, more enjoyable,
and more productive travel experience, enabled by the network."

Cohda Wireless CEO Paul Gray: "We make Car-to-X work for the moving car. Our patented
technology enhances radio reception; the car can see around corners or through obstacles
when needed. Combining our special expertise in wireless automotive communication with
that of long-established automotive companies like NXP and a global player like Cisco is a
logical next step to further grow our reach into the automotive industry."

Kurt Sievers, EVP / GM of the Automotive Business at NXP Semiconductors: "Our market-
proven multi-standard software-defined radio is the ideal platform for C2X communication.
Combined with Cohda's superior wireless communication algorithms and Cisco's network
intelligence we will achieve the performance, system cost and compactness that car makers
and tier-1 suppliers are asking for. Our combined technology will help to avoid traffic
accidents, save lives and reduce CO2 emissions"