Harman International opens R&D and Engineering Center in Shanghai

SHANGHAI – September 29, 2009 -- Harman International Industries Incorporated (NYSE:HAR) today celebrates the official opening of a new group office and research and development center in Shanghai, China, joined by leading customers, channel partners, and government officials. The move strengthens Harman’s presence in the region, complementing the company’s manufacturing facilities in Suzhou and Shenzhen. Located at 288 West Nanjing Road in the Huang Pu commercial district, Harman’s new office establishes a mainland Asia business base from which to lead investment and employment growth in the region.

“This new facility and the talented people who will staff it are an important part of our strategy to unlock the full potential of the People’s Republic of China for our customers and our investors” said David Jin, Harman’s President Country Manager for China and North Asia. “We will strengthen our relationships across the region with both domestic and global partners as we leverage the nation’s attractive infrastructure, talented workforce and new business opportunities."

Concurrent with the office opening, Harman celebrated the global launch of its latest generation, scalable automotive infotainment system. Designed in Asia, Europe and the US and slated for manufacturing at the company’s facility in Suzhou, the modular, software-based system extends the company’s audio and infotainment expertise to a broad cross section of domestic and global automakers.

“This new system fulfills a commitment to modularize our infotainment expertise in order to seize greater market opportunities,” said Dinesh C. Paliwal, Chairman, President and CEO of Harman International. “Our leadership in the luxury car segment is clear, and we will continue to serve these loyal customers with premium audio and infotainment. Our new system extends this capability to additional automotive customers at a price point determined by the advanced features they select.”

Dinesh C. Paliwal, Chairman, President and CEO of Harman International,
explained to reporters Harman's development strrategy in China on September 29.

Capping an intensive one-year design effort, the new scalable software and electronics platform marries automotive audio, navigation and wireless technologies with a new generation of connectivity options. Automakers can now cost-effectively offer media-rich information and entertainment systems by selecting from any number of feature modules that have been pre-integrated and tested on the Harman platform. Using the company’s reliable QNX operating system software as its foundation, the system offers seamless recognition and playback of movies, music and other multimedia regardless of format; wireless connectivity to services such as Internet radio and social networking sites; and the latest in brilliant graphics and friendly user-interface.

Harman International has been active in the Chinese market since 1998, marketing a variety of consumer audio systems under its premium brands such as JBL, Harman Kardon, and Infinity, as well as audio, navigation and connectivity solutions for domestic and global automakers. The company also provides professional audio systems to leading entertainers and the venues where they perform. Harman currently employs about 1000 people in China and is increasing its investment and footprint in the area to meet the growing customer and market demands.

Harman’s consumer products are marketed throughout Asia by leading retailers and online merchants. Key automotive customers include Shanghai General Motors, Korea's Hyundai, Ssangyong, and Kia auto brands, and Germany’s BMW. Harman Professional audio installations include the Shanghai Grande Theater and Oriental Arts Center, Nanjing Stadium, and the Hard Rock Café restaurant chain. The company also equipped more than a dozen key venues at the recent Beijing Olympic Games.

Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Harman International maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and employs around 9,500 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.