INTERNATIONAL Business Machines - the world's largest computer group - and Mercedes Benz of Germany are collaborating to develop vehicle electronics networks that will manage mechanical functions and provide access to the Internet. The companies said the integrated electronics for trucks band cars would use network computing concepts to access the Internet, satellite navigation systems, traffic and other data to be provided by future "intelligent" information highways and even email and fax transfers.

The same electronics networks would simultaneously be capable of controlling engine functions, transmission, lighting and most other operations within the vehicle, Mercedes Benz said yesterday.

The collaboration takes IBM into in vehicle computing systems for the first time. It has previously worked closely with Mercedes on vehicle manufacturing systems.

The partners claim that the electronics networks will lead to significant time and cost savings in the design, development and production of new cars by using standardised hardware which would not require changing through successive model generations.

Although existing automotive electronics can perform these tasks individually or in groups, the IBM Mercedes partnership will create an integrated control system, comprising modules with standardised interfaces that can be configured quickly and cheaply.