Nokia today launched the Nokia Multimedia Car Kit CK-20W, the first integrated handsfree solution to combine high-quality communication, music, navigation and push-to-talk in the car.
Thanks to a Pop-Port(TM) interface and Bluetooth wireless technology, the easy-to-use system is compatible with a broad range of mobile phones and delivers excellent audio quality featuring DSP (Digital Signal Processing).
Previously, drivers who wanted to retrofit their cars with music, navigation or communication had to install each system separately.
Now, the new Nokia Multimedia Car Kit CK-20W bundles all these applications in a single solution.
It can be used with a compatible mobile phone as a personal in-car music player music box or in connection with the Nokia Navigation Pack LD-2 for convenient navigation.
The comfortable operating unit puts phone, music and navigation functions at the user''s fingertips.
"This product represents a major step towards achieving our goal of fuelling the convergence of multimedia and automotive communication in the aftermarket", commented Wolfgang Gärtner, Senior Category Manager, Nokia Automotive.
Music stored on a compatible mobile phone can be played over the vehicle speakers in stereo quality using a cable connection or via Bluetooth streaming, based on the Bluetooth A2DP Profile.
This turns the mobile phone into an in-car music player, with functions like start/stop, previous/next track readily accessible on the operating unit of the handsfree system.
Owners of mobile MP3 players like the Apple iPod can also connect their player to the Nokia Multimedia Car Kit CK-20W using the cable that comes with the car kit or via Bluetooth -if supported by the respective player.

In addition to handsfree functionality and music, another asset offered by the system is navigation.
The combined package made up of the Multimedia Car Kit CK-20W and the Nokia Navigation Pack LD-2 also includes the ''ROUTE 66 Mobile 7'' software application, which works with most S60 based Nokia mobile devices and other S60 based phones, as well as a GPS receiver to hook up with the Multimedia Car Kit CK-20W. The GPS receiver is installed in the car for optimum performance and it does not require charging.
When the navigation software is used in the car, GPS data is transmitted to the phone over a Bluetooth connection. The navigation instructions are shown on the display of the mobile phone which should preferably be in a holder.
The map with driving instructions is scalable. Spoken cues are conveyed over the handsfree system.
The Nokia Multimedia Car Kit CK-20W always gives priority to voice communications.
The operating concept ensures, for example, that music playback is automatically muted when a call comes in or a navigation voice prompt is played.
In the case of the navigation function, the user has the choice of selecting an alternative setting that allows both the phone audio to be on with the navigation simultaneously, or for a short beep for each change in direction to alert the user to check the route on the mobile phone display.

The Nokia Multimedia Car Kit CK-20W and the Nokia Navigation Pack LD-2 with the ROUTE 66 software and a GPS receiver are expected to be available in the third quarter of 2006.
Depending on needs and destination, various versions of ROUTE 66 are available, each covering a country or region in Europe or North America (USA and Canada).