Pioneer To Make PAIS Available To Other Mfrs.

By Jamie Sorcher -- TWICE, 1/6/2010

LAS VEGAS - Pioneer said at a Wednesday press conference it will make its Platform for Aggregation of Internet Services (PAIS) for connected devices available to other manufacturers.

"This is about consumers having one account with many services, many devices," detailed Ted Cardenas, marketing director for Pioneer's mobile business group. By opening the PAIS platform, Pioneer plans to address the reality that consumers want their devices to work together, regardless of manufacturer. The PAIS platform, a device portal that lets myriad Internet services and connected devices to work together, is designed to handle multiple device and application types including in-vehicle telematics, and smartphone apps.

Pioneer Drops Premier Brand Pioneer Posts Lower Sales, Net Loss

Pioneer will open PAIS to early access device partners by midyear, targeting third-party products with first customer shipments planned for fall 2010.

Additionally, Pioneer reviewed its 2010 marketing strategy identifies its complete line of in-vehicle entertainment and navigation products. The company's "Stage" strategy slots Pioneer's mobile products into four distinct levels, providing a simple way for consumers to determine which products best fit their needs. "The new program should make it very easy for our customers to understand the broad range of in-vehicle products we offer, from the upgrade buyer to the most demanding audiophile" said Cardenas.

The four levels include Stage 1 for the replacement customer and will feature entry-level products for the consumer seeking to upgrade their original manufacturer (OEM) system. Stage 1 products will include a variety of single CD players with iPod connectivity and TS-G line of two-way speakers.

The meat of the lineup, noted Cardenas, is in Stage 2, for upgrade customers - those who want more advanced features, higher performance and better sound quality for their vehicle. Add-on navigation options are offered here as well as audio/video receivers, single CD players with Bluetooth and HD Radio options, amplifiers, the TS-A line of component and full-range speakers, and conventional and shallow mount subwoofers.

Stage 3 is aimed at the enthusiast consumer. Options here include advanced in-dash navigation systems, large-screen audio/video receivers, high-efficiency digital amplifiers, the high performance TS-D line of component and full-range speakers, and a variety of high-output conventional and shallow mount subwoofers.

At the pinnacle is the Stage 4 customer with a line of exclusive, ultra-performance audio products.  The Stage 4 products are geared toward advancing the art of music in the car environment, said Cardenas, and are designed purely for car audio and music enthusiasts who value the highest sound quality and performance possible. Stage 4 products consist of the DEX-P99RS reference single-CD/digital media player, five high-performance amplifiers, the new 2010 PRS series of component speaker systems and PRS subwoofers. 

All Stage 4 products are said to be engineered and manufactured using advanced materials and innovative technologies with the goal of reproducing the ultimate in-vehicle listening experience.  

Pioneer also launched Wednesday its new interactive FitGuide (www.pioneerfitguide.com), which allows consumers to virtually build, component-by-component, their ideal "custom" system, quickly and easily sorting through the expansive selection of Pioneer in-vehicle products and filtering only those which provide the features, performance, and price they are looking for.

The FitGuide uses Pioneer's new FitFotos collection, which shows actual installation photos from authorized retailers.  Shoppers can view professional installation capabilities of retailers to provide a visual idea of how products fit in different vehicles.  Once an ideal system is created a summary sheet can be printed and taken to their local dealer.