December 10, 2013 - Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced a new Automotive Bluetooth® software stack. This new stack extends Broadcom's contribution of its Bluetooth software stack (Bluedroid) to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and enables easy interoperability and seamless streaming between in-vehicle applications and Android mobile devices.

Android accounts for 80% of global smartphone shipments, and demand for in-vehicle device connectivity is growing. Existing Bluetooth devices have been plagued by poor audio quality and difficulty connecting multiple devices. However, Broadcom's Android Bluetooth software addresses these issues, offering significantly improved quality for hands-free calling and music streaming. Furthermore, integrated Bluetooth Smart Ready technology easily integrates with wearable devices, allowing drivers to monitor health and biometric indicators, such as blood alcohol content and glucose levels.

“Demand for seamless connectivity between mobile and wearable devices is increasing, making Bluetooth technology in vehicles increasingly important,” said Richard Barrett, director of Wireless Connectivity at Broadcom. “Automakers and leading suppliers are looking for a robust, feature-rich, and flexible operating system that is relatively easy to deploy,” he said. “Broadcom’s new automotive Bluetooth software stack combines Broadcom’s proven expertise in software development with high-performance wireless connectivity optimized for the automotive environment.”

“The automotive open platform landscape continues to grow as more and more automakers and leading suppliers turn to open-source platforms like Android,” said Dominique Bonte, vice president at ABI Research. “The automotive industry is poised for a dramatic and diverse paradigm shift, and the adoption of open-source platforms is just one example. In this regard, the automotive industry will mirror and adapt to mobile trends.”