Parrot, Inc. (Paris:PARRO) today announced that North America’s No. 1 consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy, will carry several models in the company’s hands-free Bluetooth® car kit line, and the retailer has already launched them in a number of its stores nationwide.
Initially, Best Buy will carry Parrot’s highly acclaimed portable Parrot MINIKIT speakerphone in most of its U.S. stores. It will also stock two Parrot car kits that require professional installation – the Parrot CK3000 EVOLUTION and Parrot CK3100 LCD – in about 300 stores. All three products will be immediately available on the retailer’s Web site at www.bestbuy.com.
Other Parrot products, including its wireless stereo speakers, digital photo viewers and wireless conference phone will be featured online at Best Buy’s website.
“More and more states are banning the use of hand-held cell phones when driving,” said Ed Valdez, president and COO of Parrot, Inc. “New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, the District of Columbia and the several cities already require hands-free devices in vehicles. Next July, California and Washington will join them. This means that by mid-2008 nearly 65 million vehicles will be subject to hands-free legislation, creating a huge market for our customers in those states.”
All three Parrot car kits offer true hands-free, voice-controlled phone capability and superior audio and phone quality – including the portable Parrot MINIKIT speakerphone that clips to the driver-side sun visor. And all Parrot car kits are compatible with virtually all Bluetooth mobile phones on the market.
The rechargeable battery-powered Parrot MINIKIT features a high-performance 2-watt speaker for full volume and boasts 10 hours of talk-time and 10 days of standby time. And because the 21-ounce device is only about the size of a wallet, it slips easily into a pocket or purse for take-with portability for the traveler. It has an MSRP of $79.99.
The Parrot CK3000 EVOLUTION and Parrot CK3100 LCD are professionally installed car kits that are hard-wired into a vehicle’s audio system. This allows them to automatically mute the stereo when making or taking a call.
The Parrot CK3000 EVOLUTION has a very small user interface or control unit that allows it to be mounted discretely on the instrument panel and it features audible caller ID when voice tags have been assigned to contacts in its phone book. The Parrot CK3100 LCD features a combination control/display unit that displays caller ID if voice tags have been assigned to the contacts in its phone book. They retail for $129.99 and $219.99, respectively.
Parrot is the world’s largest manufacturer of installed hands-free car kits. In addition to its automotive products, Parrot also manufacturers and markets a growing line of Bluetooth-based digital photo viewers and wireless stereo sound systems. Information on the complete line is available at www.parrot.com.
ABOUT PARROT
Founded in 1994, Parrot has rapidly established itself as a pivotal global player for wireless mobile telephone accessories. Drawing on its tried-and-tested expertise in voice recognition and signal processing technologies, Parrot was one of the very first companies to produce Bluetooth®-based wireless hands-free car kits, having identified this standard’s vast potential as early as 1999. In 2006, Parrot sold about 3 million units.
Determined to accompany wireless peripherals breakthrough into consumer’s day-to-day lives, Parrot has been developing since 2006 a new wireless range of sound and image products. Today, Parrot truly has a major international focus: 90.5% of its sales are generated outside of France, and a large percentage of its production is outsourced to carefully selected partners, enabling it to achieve the best possible level of quality and responsiveness. Parrot is now particularly well positioned to capitalize on the bright future opening up for mobile telephone devices.
Parrot has achieved strong growth in its consolidated revenues, up from 80.9 million euros pro forma in 2005 to 166.9 million euros in 2006.
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®The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Parrot S.A. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.