Automotive Infotainment to Decline to $24.8 Billion by 2015, According to ABI Research

NEW YORK - June 2, 2010: The market for automotive infotainment (which includes in-vehicle navigation, audio, video and Internet) will decline to $24.8 billion worldwide in 2015 from more than $29.5 billion in 2010, according to a new study by ABI Research which forecasts that price erosion on in-vehicle navigation systems will hurt the category just as other technologies are beginning to grow to support it.

In a new study, "Automotive Infotainment: Navigation Systems, Satellite and Digital Radio, Video, In-Car Computing and Digital Content," ABI Research anticipates that automotive infotainment revenue as a whole will see a CAGR of 3.4% from 2010 to 2015, mainly due to revenue declines associated with built-in in-vehicle navigation systems.

Says research director Larry Fisher, "Pressure from the aftermarket, and from free or low-cost applications available via smartphone handsets, will drive down ASPs for GPS/navigation systems so severely that, while the number of vehicles equipped with such systems will double worldwide over the forecast period, revenues for those systems will decline by two-thirds."

Further, Mr. Fisher notes, "If you exclude in-vehicle navigation, the worldwide market for automotive infotainment will actually grow at the very healthy CAGR of 20% over the forecast period."

Automotive infotainment is beginning to flourish, thanks to standards that ensure these systems will not be obsolete within a few years, since software can be updated, and hardware can be upgraded. Standardized infotainment systems are drawing the attention of third-party developers eager to write software with a potential sales base of millions of drivers. Third-party applications hold the promise of licensing revenue, and some ongoing service revenue could also be generated by third-party Internet or other services.

Although automotive infotainment is on the cusp of attaining mass-market status, OEMs and aftermarket vendors face a number of challenges to sustained revenue growth. For one, consumers may like premium audio and video content, but many will be reluctant to pay high subscription fees when free alternatives are common. On top of this, the sector also faces a potential threat as legislators ponder concerns about driver distraction.

This study is published under the Automotive Technology Research Service, which is a part of NextGen, the ABI Research emerging technologies research incubator.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research's worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 28 research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.