As one of the world's largest tradeshows with 700 000 visitors from 125 countries and a surface area of 400 000 sq. m, the Hanover CeBIT brings together each year the biggest hi-tech names. The show presents the latest in telecommunications (like at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes), data processing and IT.
Cars are present at the show every year, particularly courtesy of BMW which exhibits with its partner Vodafone in a specific pavilion. It was an opportunity for the Bavarian firm to present its Assist portal based on Wap technology, and accessible using the 7 Series navigation system. The 'BMW online' service allows drivers to access traffic info, weather forecasts and car park spaces. A database is kept up-to-date in 70 cities and 20 airports in Germany. Drivers can even use BMW e-mail and consult their mail in their car.
Mercedes was also present through DaimlerChrysler Services and its mobility department. With T-Online, Mercedes also proposes a portal which drivers can access using an onboard screen, a PDA, a telephone or a PC. DaimlerChrysler presented this year its teletoll programme for lorries with a GPS unit and a system providing real time traffic info based on floating car data.

Very widely represented at the Hanover CeBIT, mobile phones were to be seen everywhere. They integrate a growing array of functions, and above all Bluetooth* technology which makes their use easier in cars. Parrot for instance presented its DriveBlue system, the first universal kit which connects to the cigar lighter, making mobiles hands-free. Mention is also to be made in this respect of the Italian Cellular Line, also a specialist of handsfree plug and play kits. The trend is for easy to install universal kits, without any connection, and that adapt to a wide range of phones on the market. Peiker, another specialist of Bluetooth and phone kits, was also present, as well as many accessory makers. Germany bans the use of mobiles at the wheel but tolerates handsfrees. Hence a profusion of equipment proposed by makers themselves (Nokia, Motorola, Siemens) and specialised producers.
The other main trend of CeBIT 2003 was the presence of navigation software on organisers of the Palm, Pocket PC or Symbian type.

* Radio communication protocol allowing several electronic devices to communicate wirelessly in a radius of 10 m. For instance mobile phones can communicate with a PDA, a laptop computer or the car onboard computer. Bluetooth was developed by companies like Nokia, Ericsson, Intel, Toshiba. It is being rolled out today via the Bluetooth Forum.