INGOLSTADT, GERMANY – Audi won two awards at the Telematics Update Awards 2011. The first was for the company’s Audi Connect system. The automaker received the Global OEM Infotainment Solution for its connectivity technology. The second award, “Telematics Leadership,” went to the company’s Dr. Peter Steiner, head of Infotainment Development at Audi AG.

Audi connect is now available in nearly all the vehicles in Audi’s model lineup, from the A1 and the new Q3 to the A6, the A7 Sportback, and A8. The company won the first award for its advances in connecting the vehicle with other devices in the cabin and in the vehicle’s surroundings.

An achievement under Steiner’s leadership was the integration of Google Earth into an automotive navigation system, which the company said was a world first.

Audi said it plans to network its future models more closely with surrounding traffic infrastructure, to help them navigate and avoid hazards.