Consumer telematics shifts to in-car connectivity
Edited by Suzanne Deffree -- EDN, August 21, 2008
Despite high gas prices and the fact that the automotive industry has hit the skids on the economic downturn in the United States, the consumer-telematics industry continues to see healthy levels of innovation, according to ABI Research. The research company notes that both BMW and Chrysler plan to bring Internet access or Wi-Fi connectivity to cars in the United States this year. While safety and infotainment remain the cornerstones of consumer-telematics offerings, the current economic climate may shift the focus of many telematics-service providers toward cost-saving applications, such as fuel-consumption monitoring, the company reports.
Meanwhile, ABI Research notes that inflexible, single-application approaches targeting just one automaker could leave some companies on the side of the road. The research company expects versatility to be a major strength of consumer telematics. “Several players are starting to understand that flexible solutions can only be achieved through the adoption of global standards and cooperation among all players in the value chain, with the added incentive of possible cost reductions,” says ABI Research Analyst Dominique Bonte.
