Harman International Industries (NYSE: HAR), a manufacturer of audio equipment and infotainment solutions, said today that it has acquired Aha Mobile, a California-based software company and maker of the Aha Radio iphone software. The financial terms of the transaction was undisclosed.
Aha Radio uses speech-to-text technology to convert web-content into a radio-on demand service. Users can interact with their information feeds like Facebook or Twitter through voice commands as well as receive text information in audio format, allowing people to stay connected to the internet while engaged in other activities, like cooking and driving. Aha Radio currently has almost 100 information feeds to choose from.
"Streaming, on-demand Web content technology is a natural complement to HARMAN's premium infotainment systems, and we look forward to expanding the reach of this innovative platform to delight new customers," said Dinesh C. Paliwal, Chief Executive Officer of Harman.
"We will deploy this new technology to strengthen our global leadership as the provider of choice for rich, interactive infotainment on the road, around the home, or on the go."
Harman designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. The company’s audio and infotainment systems have been installed in more than 20 million automobiles. HARMAN has about 11,000 employees located across the globe. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, the company had sales of $3.4 billion.