KT Corporation, the largest telephone business company in South Korea, said on Thursday it will showcase its next-generation in-vehicle infotainment solution at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

IVI encompasses systems for movie, game, TV and other entertainment services and car information for the driver and passengers.

KT’s solution dubbed GiGA Drive to be displayed at the world’s biggest mobile trade show is the industry’s first IVI-empowered software platform in Korea, which allows communication and content including data from the car’s control panel and audio, video and navigation systems to accommodate a variety of car models. The system’s key feature is a speech-powered artificial intelligence function.

KT has teamed up with SoundHound Inc., a pioneering company in sound recognition and search technologies, to add voice AI services that support multiple specific commands to GigaDrive.

When the driver commands, "Find an Asian food restaurant with at least 10 reviews and a rating of 4 or more within 10 miles," the Giga Drive will locate one and show the driver the optimal route to the place considering traffic conditions in real time.

It also provides customized services in sync with mobile apps. When the driver types in a personal event into a mobile app, the solution automatically sends a notification to the schedule and sets up for the destination.

GigaDrive is a flexible platform that can reflect the requirements of global car manufacturers, said a KT official.

By Seo Dong-cheol and Minu Kim

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