WELLINGBOROUGH, England -- The market for factory-fitted telematics systems has been growing steadily over the past decade, but a recent report from
IMS Research finds that this market is about to enter a new and more dynamic growth phase.
The report, “The World Market for OE In-Vehicle Telematics Systems,”
forecasts that all major manufacturers will sell an increasing
proportion of their vehicles with these systems during the next decade.
Globally, the percentage of new vehicles fitted with telematics is
forecast to grow from 9 percent in 2009 to 46 percent in 2017,
according to IMS. However, the types of telematics system offered and
the applications they provide will differ greatly between
manufacturers.
The term “telematics” can mean slightly different things to different
people and there is no consistent industry definition. IMS Research
defines it as integrated, two-way data communications between the
vehicle and an outside network that is often associated with vehicle
location.
According to report author Jon Cropley, “Telematics is an umbrella term
that covers many different solutions from the Toyota G-Book, to
Mercedes' mbrace and GM's OnStar. What they each share in common is
that they employ wireless technology to connect in-vehicle
entertainment and information systems to outside networks. In doing so,
they enhance the driving experience or offer additional functionality.”
The report estimates that General Motors sold the most vehicles with
factory-fitted telematics systems globally in 2009, at 2.2 million
vehicles.
One difference between the various telematics solutions is the
applications they provide. Applications that are driving the fitment of
factory-fitted telematics include emergency calling, stolen vehicle
tracking and Internet access, says IMS Research.
Cropley added, “In-vehicle Internet access could lead to a wide range
of interesting new services. Examples include weather reports for your
destination and having your emails read aloud to you while driving.”
Globally, IMS Research forecasts that the number of new vehicles with
internet access will grow from 1.1 million in 2009 to 6.0 million in
2017.
