Siemens VDO, seeking to be an even bigger player in the car infotainment space, joined forces with Microsoft to create a multi-media Platform (MMP) that integrates home entertainment functionality into the your car's center stack; it was shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Microsoft Auto software (an offshoot of Windows Mobile, nee Windows CE) powers the MMP. It incorporates connections for the iPod, USB and Flash memory, and Bluetooth for phones. Siemens VDO, a German company, describes the interface as a touchscreen. This would be a first if it lands an MMP contract with a German automaker, most of whom freak out at the idea of fingerprints on dashboard displays and prefer cockpit controllers.

Less objectionable is the partitioned software: The back end that talks to the car will be locked down early and delivered far in advance, as automakers like, while the entertainment interface will be upgradeable as consumer tastes change in entertainment devices. Siemens hints at a dual-core microprocessor architecture and a high-end graphics processor for the display; many LCDs today are VGA-resolution or less, while (much bigger) desktop displays have 10 times as many pixels. The Siemens MMP will be available in 2009.