XM for Business, the recently spruced up B2B arm of XM's satellite radio business, has partnered with Crown Audio to supply thousands of professional dealers nationwide with integrated amplifiers featuring built-in XM tuners.

Crown Audio, a division of Harman International, is one of the largest manufacturers of power amplifiers and components for professional audio markets.

Crown's 140 MAx and 180 MAx (pictured above) are the first integrated tuner-mixer-amplifiers designed for commercial use. The integrated components are the centerpiece of the 140 and 180 MAx PACKs: complete business sound systems with Crown and JBL components.

The 140 MAx features a 40W amp with two JBL Control 1S 2-way 8-ohm speakers, while the 180 MAx sports a powerful 80W Crown mixer/amplifier and 4 JBL Professional Control 1ST two-way speakers for superior sound quality. Both systems include music-on-hold outputs, which easily connects to most business phone systems.

More details on the XM for Business website.

Subaru will be offering Sirius Satellite Radio exclusively in the majority of its vehicles sold in Canada, starting in June. It's a clear sign that the battle for exclusive OEM deals is as hot as ever with our neighbors up North.

The exclusive deal is for the Subaru Legacy, Outback and Impreza (pictured) models. Additional Sirius-exclusive Subaru models will be announced in the coming months.

"Sirius is the leading satellite radio brand in Canada and we are very pleased to expand our satellite radio offering on our volume vehicles," said Katsuhiro Yokoyama, president, chairman and chief executive officer of Subaru Canada, "We are excited about providing even more Subaru drivers with an enhanced in-vehicle entertainment experience from Sirius Satellite Radio."

Bonus: Click the jump to watch one of the coolest Subaru commercials made. It has nothing to do with Sirius, but it's mighty fun to watch.

Microsoft Corp. and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group have partnered together to build a music and information system to rival Ford Motor Co.'s SYNC system. The system is set to debut in cars sold in North America in 2010.

Hyundai is the first major Asian automaker to commit to using the Microsoft Auto platform with the goal of bringing these systems worldwide.

The infotainment systems will be a voice-controlled interface linking mobile devices to car stereo systems, with the ability for new functionality through software updates via the USB port - much like Ford SYNC. Later versions are expected to include multimedia and navigation-related features, said Microsoft/Hyundai.

Hyundai-Kia will first introduce vehicles in North America in 2010 and expand to the Asian and European regions shortly afterwards.

As I predicted, this is only the beginning. The product deal marks a win for Microsoft and you can bet that we will see more of these partnerships with other automakers in the future. Microsoft Auto systems - which are essentially mini-PCs - are currently available in Fiat in Europe and South America, and in Ford in North America.

With automakers like BMW and Chrysler working to bring Internet access to vehicles, the market for car-based information and data systems is expected grow rapidly in coming years, and Microsoft plans to be part of this movement.