All-in-One Solution from Telecommunications Services to Content

KT announced that it will unveil an IVI platform at the Mobile World Congress 2018 for the first time among domestic telecommunications companies.

IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) is a vehicle infotainment service that collectively refers to entertainment and information systems that can be enjoyed inside a vehicle. It can be viewed as a technology that provides entertainment functions such as movies, games, TV, and SNS, as well as various services linked with navigation and mobile devices.

The IVI (named GiGA drive) exhibited by KT at MWC 2018 is Korea's first IVI-dedicated software platform, and it is a service that consolidates the technological capabilities and strengths of telecommunications companies spanning from communications to content. In particular, it has been designed to be directly applicable to global vehicles in areas encompassing from in-vehicle clusters (automobile instrument panels) to AVN (Audio Video Navigation).

KT's significance lies in the fact that following its declaration last year to leap forward as an automobile software specialist, it has completed and demonstrated a platform for providing services to global vehicle manufacturers through the globally-targeted 'GiGA drive' exhibited at MWC 2018.

The key features of 'GiGA drive' are ▲voice-based 'Smart(AI)', ▲real-time mobile and IVI linkage, and ▲ADAS-based 'Safe & Convenient' service, three major categories.

First, it provides voice-based 'Smart(AI)' concept services. Through collaboration with 'SoundHound', a voice recognition specialist with which KT invested and entered into strategic partnership in September of last year, KT has applied voice and AI services supporting complex commands to connected cars. For example, if a driver says "Find me an Asian restaurant with at least 10 reviews and a rating of 4 points or higher within 10 miles," 'GiGA drive' identifies the restaurant by considering real-time traffic conditions and provides optimal route guidance.

Next, it provides 'Seamless' concept services that link mobile and IVI in real-time. For example, if a driver enters a personal schedule in a mobile app, push notifications are automatically sent in advance according to this schedule, and the vehicle destination is automatically set. By providing information that takes into account travel distance and required time, drivers can receive connected car services optimized for them whenever needed.

Finally, it is the 'Safe & Convenient' concept service based on ADAS. By utilizing navigation that links vehicle information with real-time traffic information data, it recognizes objects and traffic signal information around the vehicle, and by identifying risk factors that drivers may not have noticed in advance, it provides a safer driving environment.

Kim Jun-geun, Head of KT GiGA IoT Business Division, stated, "'GiGA drive' is a flexible platform that can reflect the actual requirements of global vehicle manufacturers, enabling timely development and supply from premium vehicles to mass-market vehicle models," and added, "We anticipate that it will deliver a new type of vehicle infotainment experience by incorporating various online content based on communications going forward."