Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR; TSX: SW) introduced the industry’s first and only suite of embedded wireless modules designed specifically for automotive manufacturers. The new Sierra Wireless AirPrime AR Series intelligent embedded modules are the first wireless modules designed and developed from the ground up to achieve the highest level of compliance with automotive specifications, providing an unmatched level of quality, reliability and performance under harsh operating conditions. Commercial shipments of the modules are scheduled to begin in mid-2011. Sierra Wireless already has multiple design wins for the AirPrime AR Series with leading automotive manufacturers.

While car manufacturers and OEMs have used wireless modules for many years, the solutions have been based on standard commercial-grade modules adapted for automotive applications. Automotive systems present a uniquely challenging environment for wireless technologies, requiring solutions that can withstand extreme temperatures, thermal shocks, constant vibration, and humidity over many years. The Sierra Wireless AirPrime AR Series provides an unsurpassed automotive-grade solution that encompasses:

• Tolerance for up to 1,000 thermal shock cycles
• Full certification with ISO 9001:2000 quality standards and ISO/TS 16949:2002 manufacturing processes
• Extended operating temperature range from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius
• Compliance with multiple automotive manufacturing and quality processes including AQPQ, PPAP, PCN, and 8D
• Solder-down form factor and optional Embedded SIM to create a more reliable and less expensive solution

Telematics, infotainment, navigation assistance and remote vehicle diagnostics are expected to become standard features in new cars within the next few years, requiring reliable built-in connections to cellular networks. To date, Sierra Wireless has delivered more than two million wireless modules to auto manufacturers and first-tier suppliers, including the largest automotive companies in the world.

Sierra Wireless provides the industry’s only automotive module portfolio that offers truly global coverage. With models supporting the full range of 2G and 3G network technologies and frequency bands used worldwide, customers can design solutions once and address virtually any regional market. The AirPrime AR Series is also the only automotive-grade solution that offers an open platform for customer application development, including dedicated APIs for telematics applications.

"The AirPrime AR Series draws on Sierra Wireless’ more than 10 years experience working with automotive customers and represents the culmination of years of development and investment from Sierra Wireless’ dedicated automotive organization," said Didier Dutronc, Senior Vice President and General Manager, M2M Embedded Solutions for Sierra Wireless. "This new product line offers our customers the superior quality they need to deliver reliable wireless solutions that last for the expected life of their products, and we are extremely proud to introduce it today."

Sierra Wireless solutions for automotive

With over a decade of experience, award-winning expertise, and more than two million wireless modules shipped to automotive manufacturers, Sierra Wireless is the market leader in wireless technologies for the automotive industry. Sierra Wireless offers:

• all the components required for a wireless connectivity solution, from wireless embedded modules and software suites to development tools and services platforms
• products designed to match the automotive industry’s toughest quality requirements, manufactured in an ISO/TS 16949 compliant facility, and supported by automotive specialists
• proven technologies that allow rapid design and easy integration, and a services platform that enables fast deployment and cost-effective maintenance and support
• professional services for engineering, design, and systems integration that conform to the automotive industry’s toughest constraints.

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