Hauppauge, N.Y.  - Audiovox can be added to the list of companies planning a remote-start smartphone app for the car.

Tom Malone, Audiovox president, told TWICE the iPhone and BlackBerry app is scheduled to begin shipping by early October, with a formal announcement coming from the company within the next 60 days.

"We'll make a kit that will be able to be used not only on our product, but on any factory system and really any remote-start system that you have in the vehicle," Malone said. "Our approach is a little different in that we want make it more universal."

On the remote-start category, Malone said, "I think sales are OK. We don't hear anybody say that it's changing their business. It is new business [and] it is a new way to bring some energy into the category. We will be modest in our projections, and hopefully the business will build."

Audiovox is looking at a target retail of $399 for the kit, he said. The company is also looking into extending the app to Droid smartphones.