15 Jan ACO TECH – Joint venture between Proton, ECARX and Altel BM
ACO TECH – Joint venture between Proton, ECARX, and Altel
Last June, Proton announced that it has entered a joint venture with Altel Communications and ECARX (Hubei) Technology for the development of car connectivity technology and products. A new company, ACO TECH was formed in August 2019 from that joint venture agreement, and the fruits of the work done by ACO TECH will serve markets both in Malaysia and in the greater ASEAN region.
The partnership between Proton and ECARX began with the joint creation of the Global Key User Interface (GKUI) for the Proton X70 in 2018, and ACO TECH aims to further refine and increase localised content within the GKUI for Proton.
ACO TECH plays a vital role in the localisation of Proton’s infotainment head unit (IHU) software, which will be infused with “local flavours” to better suit the preferences and driving habits of local customers, said Li Pu, chief executive officer of ACO TECH.
Beyond its Malaysian market application, localisation of the GKUI-based infotainment system will also apply in other markets too. ACO TECH is developing a Thai version of the GKUI setup in preparation for the future export of the Proton X70 and the X50 to Thailand, according to firm.
ACO TECH endeavours to support and contribute to Proton and the Malaysian automotive industry, to keep pace with global automotive innovations, and to become the market leader in the car connectivity industry, the CEO said. Li is also the vice president of ECARX China and has worked in various telecommunications firms in China before joining the automotive industry in 2015.
