Secaucus, N.J. — Panasonic Corp. of North America acquired the Aupeo personalized music-streaming service.
However, Panasonic told TWICE it will continue to offer the service to competing consumer electronics brands and automaker suppliers for use in their products.
Panasonic acquired the Berlin-based company mainly to “combine their technologies with our products and solutions for automakers,” the spokesman said. “Cooperation on this level will offer us a lot of opportunities to expand in the automotive OEM industry.”
Aupeo’s service is available through PC web browsers, smartphone apps, TVs made by Panasonic and competing TV makers, OEM car audio from Panasonic and competing suppliers, Pioneer aftermarket car audio head units, and home audio equipment made by Onkyo, Integra and Sonos.
“Providing connected services and mobile content delivery that both appeal to consumers and enable product differentiation is critical to the automotive industry,” said Tom Gebhardt, president of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, a division of Panasonic Corp. of North America. “Conventional consumer-focused music and content services do not address all the needs of car manufacturers. Aupeo’s technologies and content delivery platform provide a solution that is complementary to Panasonic’s automotive, business-to-business and business-to-consumer product lines.”
Aupeo CEO Holger G. Weiss said in a statement that Aupeo was founded “to deliver online and seamless content services to internet-connected devices” and sees the car “as our most important focus.”
He added, “Aupeo and Panasonic remain deeply committed to providing current and potential customers in all industries with leading global music and audio streaming services and technologies.”
Aupeo was founded in 2008 and operates streaming services in more than 40 countries, including the U.S. It delivers personalized radio services for free and, for a monthly $4.95 fee, personalized radio service with no audio or visual ads, higher bit-rate audio, and ability to skip more tracks.
