On Monday, Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) and MediaTek Inc (2454. TW) said they would collaborate on technology to power advanced vehicle infotainment systems that stream video or games or interact with drivers using artificial intelligence. Under the agreement, announced at the Computex technology trade show in Taipei, MediaTek will integrate an Nvidia graphic processing unit chipset and Nvidia software into the system-on-chips it supplies to automakers for infotainment displays.
Automakers are increasingly adding features to their vehicles that require high-performance computing and graphics capabilities, such as dashboard displays that can monitor the environment around the car, voice-activated features for gaming, driver monitoring systems, and displays related to automated driving. The companies said the new Nvidia and MediaTek chips will allow them to support these applications while also delivering a smoother driving experience.
MediaTek, which already provides automotive systems based on its Dimensity Auto platform, plans to expand the capability of those systems by tapping into Nvidia’s core expertise in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, graphics technology, and its software ecosystem. MediaTek’s innovative cabin solutions will run NVIDIA’s DRIVE OS, DRIVE IX, CUDA, and TensorRT software technologies on its automotive SoCs.
The partnership also gives MediaTek access to Nvidia’s deep well of knowledge in accelerated computing and graphics intellectual property, which could help it improve the performance of its graphical processors. However, the companies didn’t identify future customers for the partnership or say when products might become available.
In competing with Qualcomm in the smartphone market, Nvidia has been courting automakers to expand its presence beyond its core semiconductor business. Qualcomm, a longtime partner of Intel in the PC market, has been trying to sell its own Wi-Fi modems to capture a larger market share. But that strategy is causing it to enter areas where it has previously worked with MediaTek and AMD, and both partners are likely to retaliate.
This partnership focuses on high-end Wi-Fi 6E, a new standard that offers a much faster connection for devices that use mobile data and provides enhanced privacy features to protect users. It’s an essential piece of the overall puzzle as more devices become always connected through cellular technology.
While this partnership is centered on Wi-Fi, it should set the stage for AMD and MediaTek to team up on 5G as that technology becomes more prevalent in PCs. That would help to blunt Qualcomm’s attempts to take a more significant chunk of the PC market, which is critical to AMD’s revenues. It’s an essential lesson for Qualcomm to learn as it continues to push into territory controlled by its partners, even if it means those partners are likely to respond in kind.