Intel, BMW race ahead in tech partnership

Two industry giants known for speed have decided to race together.

German car maker BMW and chip maker Intel have agreed to a long-term technology, co-marketing sponsorship partnership, the companies announced Thursday.

Under the agreement, BMW will deploy Intel technology in its datacenters, use the chip maker's Centrino technology in its notebooks, and increase the use of Intel-based PDAs (personal digital assistants) across the group.

Intel will also help BMW implement a global standardization of IT infrastructure in its datacenters and provide more than 3,000 dealers worldwide with Intel-based servers and PCs, in addition to software support, said Jürg Kottmeier, a spokesman for BMW. "We're also expecting to reduce our IT costs through this partnership," he said.

In addition, the companies will collaborate with the integration of phones, music players, and other devices in cars.

The partnership goes beyond technology to include co-marketing and Intel's sponsorship of the BMW Sauber F1 car racing team, which the German car maker acquired in June.

BMW Sauber F1 and its new partners will present the new team in Valencia, Spain, next month.