News & Profile | NewsRelease | Subaru Corporation

Tokyo ― TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) and FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, announced today that they have reached a basic agreement on equipping, from 2004, Japanese-market Subaru models with G-BOOK, a TMC-developed information network featuring onboard communications terminals and membership-based information services. With this basic agreement, the two companies have begun concrete studies toward actual implementation.

Since the debut of the G-BOOK-equipped WiLL CYPHA compact car last October, TMC has been planning to provide G-BOOK functions as standard on manufacturer-installed vehicle navigation systems in additional Toyota models from mid-2003. Upon completion of the announced tie-up, an even wider segment of vehicle customers will be able to enjoy the benefits of G-BOOK services.

In addition to TMC's G-BOOK, a number of other types of telematics services are currently in operation in Japan. With various companies each constructing its own network and information infrastructure, the creation of uniform standards has become an issue warranting attention for the efficient and widespread application of such services.

FHI had considered operating its own telematics service to better control onboard information for Subaru models. Considerations for a cooperative relationship have, however, been underway since FHI began joint research with TMC last July.

TMC's aim to provide a broad range of customers with low-cost, high-quality services by promoting the standardization and integration of the telematics industry based on G-BOOK harmonizes with FHI's belief that cooperation among auto manufacturers is essential for the widespread adoption and sound development of telematics services, and this led to the agreement by the two companies.

The key points of the agreement are as follows:
１)		TMC and FHI will use G-BOOK as a common base for their respective telematics service networks and information infrastructure standards.
２)		FHI will install G-BOOK compatible information terminals in Subaru models sold in Japan starting in 2004 and will offer G-BOOK services to its customers.
３)		TMC will provide FHI with the information and telecommunications services, infrastructure and application technology necessary for realizing the above.

The two companies will continue to jointly consider detailed specifications, conditions, timing and business models.

When the cooperative relationship envisaged in the basic agreement between TMC and FHI is fully implemented, it will become the first full-scale cooperation in the telematics field in Japan and will lead to the provision of higher-quality, lower-cost services to customers and serve to spur integration and standardization necessary for the widespread adoption of telematics services.