Clarion Corporation of America announced that its parent company, Clarion Co., Ltd., has launched a joint venture with Wuhan KOTEI Informatics Co. Ltd. This new venture enables Clarion to respond with even greater agility to shifting market trends of in-vehicle infotainment systems in the Chinese market as well as the broader global market. Established in May 2016, the new company, Wuhan Clarion Kotei Software Technology Co., Ltd, began operation in June 2016 and is expected to assume a progressively significant role in the research and development of advanced new software solutions specifically designed for the automotive market.

Clarion and Kotei have been working together in designing and developing software for in-vehicle devices for several years. The new joint venture reinforces Clarion's software development activities in China, increases the product competitiveness for major markets, and is expected to generate new opportunities for Clarion to expand its customer base. The primary business focus of Wuhan Clarion Kotei Software Technology Co., Ltd., is to develop and bring to market advanced new software for intelligent in-vehicle infotainment solutions.

To do so, the new company is tasked with conducting research and development in automotive systems, in-vehicle software/solutions, and mobile device internet communication technologies, as well as application development for satellite navigation positioning.