iBiquity Digital To Expand Automotive Team

PONTIAC, MI, August 1, 2006 – iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer and licenser of HD Radio™ technology, today announced the expansion of its automotive team to meet the increasing demands for support of HD Radio implementation in new vehicles. These U.S. and German hires come on the heels of iBiquity Digital’s initiatives in Japan, where it hired Sanyo Trading Co., a leading Japanese international trader and sales representative firm, to provide additional assistance to Japanese automotive OEMs launching HD Radio technology.

“We are working with virtually every OEM manufacturer doing business in North America, and today’s announcement will assure we continue to provide the best sales, marketing and technical support for our automotive partners,” said Robert Struble, iBiquity Digital Corporation, president and chief executive officer.  “Most of these manufacturers have committed to adding HD Radio technology in several of their product lines over the next few years.  BMW is offering this feature today, and, an additional eight brands will join BMW in offering HD Radio receivers on their vehicles in the next eight to 36 months bringing the total to some 49 models.”

Headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan, iBiquity’s automotive group has hired Gereon Joachim, senior manager OEM business development based in Cologne, Germany, to head iBiquity’s efforts with European automakers.  Joachim has day-to-day responsibility for support of Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, and European-based suppliers like Bosch and Siemens. 

iBiquity Digital also added Richard Zeichner as manager for dealer programs and Erin Burns as a sales engineer to its Pontiac staff.

Zeichner, former national sales manager for Visteon, will help dealers find ways to supply customers with HD Radio options, even if there are limited factory options.  He will work directly with the dealers, expediters and jobbers.  One of Zeichner’s first responsibilities is to develop a dealer-education program.

Burns, a veteran of Siemens VDO and Sentek Corporation (both in Michigan), provides technical support to the U.S.-based sales/marketing staff working with Chrysler, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

“Interest in HD Radio broadcasting is growing exponentially,” said Jeff McGannon, iBiquity’s Vice President, OEM.  “And more and more auto companies, as well as their dealers, want the technology as soon as possible to remain competitive.”

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