London and Heidelberg, January 17, 2007 — NEC Europe Ltd announced today to ship car-to-car communication software development toolkit (SDK) "NEC Car2X SDK" with open API available for the research community as a web download. This SDK is a software toolkit that enables the use of NEC's protocol stack for car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication based on wireless short-range technology. The open API enables software developers to easily write applications for road safety, traffic information and infotainment.
Short-range wireless communication for cars and roadside base stations has received considerable attention worldwide. Due to its low costs, availability and wide deployment, it is expected that future cars will be equipped with on-board units, IEEE-802.11 wireless interfaces and antennas. The wireless technology enables a fully distributed vehicular communication network, which is commonly referred to as vehicular ad hoc network (VANET). The combination of both, short-range wireless technology and ad hoc networking facilitate a wide range of applications, such as cooperative collision warning, enhanced route guidance, and infotainment.
The "NEC Car2X-SDK" provides a protocol stack with advanced features for efficient and reliable, secure and privacy-enhancing mechanisms. The SDK bridges the gap between the available wireless radio technology and innovative communication services for vehicular environment. It supports engineering at all stages of the software development process, from design over implementation to testing, field trials and benchmarking.
The "NEC Car2X-SDK" is closely related to the efforts of the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium", a European association of major vehicle manufacturers, suppliers and research organizations. (http://www.car-2-car.org) The consortium develops an open European industry standard and promotes car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication to improve road traffic safety and efficiency in Europe.
NEC gratefully acknowledge the support of the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF) for the development of the major parts of the C2C SDK within the "NoW - Network on Wheels" project. (http://www.network-on-wheels.de)
For further information and download, please visit the homepage at: http://c2x-sdk.neclab.eu
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About NEC Europe Ltd.
A leading global manufacturer and service provider of telecommunication, computer and electronic devices, NEC began business in Europe in the early 1970s. Since then, NEC's activities have steadily increased to include sales, manufacturing and R&D functions. Today, NEC has 19 affiliated companies, employing approximately 3000 personnel, located across Europe. NEC offers its customers high quality products, services and system solutions to facilitate greater business development opportunities in the Internet era. For further information on NEC's products and sales & marketing activities, please visit http://www.neceurope.com