The joint announcement -- which was made today at CES -- means that come March, you can purchase Pioneer-powered devices to stream Pandora radio while driving.
That's the good news. The bad news is that the Pioneer device supports both navigation and entertainment, which means it will set you back an exorbitant $1,200. Should you be willing to shell out that kind of dough, the in-car system will automatically detect an iPhone or iPod touch with Pandora installed and mirror the application settings on the the navigation screen for your listening pleasure.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the deal did not involve the exchange of cash. Pandora is interested in expanding its reach and making the service universally accessible to users. Pioneer is anxious to expand further into Internet radio with connected devices and to challenge the likes of Sirius XM.
In addition, an annoucement from Pioneer also signifies that the company is moving in a more open and web-centric direction. The company is opening up its PAIS platform for connected devices to other device vendors.
The annoucement states:
"The PAIS platform presents open-standard interfaces for voice UI, navigation and maps, local search, social networking, music & radio, and video & TV, among other services. These interfaces enable device vendors to add new service offerings quickly, eliminating the need for significant investment in proprietary solutions, and saving vendors from the pitfall of trying to guess the next 'killer app.'"