According to a new report by the Stamford, CT-based Gartner Consulting Group, vehicle navigation system providers will be under the gun by 2010 to lower prices and boost product capability.
“Disruptive forces in the form of growing competition and technology advancements will ultimately lead to navigation applications losing their premium status and becoming ubiquitous at low price points over the next four years,” said Thilo Koslowski, research vp for Gartner’s Manufacturing Industry Advisory Service in the report. “For example, in the U.S. 24% of consumers interested in vehicle navigation would prefer a portable solution over an embedded one. This will change market demand and requirements.”
Nearly 40% of all vehicle owners in the U.S. and Europe want to add navigation functionality to the next new vehicle they are planning to buy, according to Gartner’s research – a significant market opportunity compared to 8% and 20% of U.S. and European consumers that, respectively, already own embedded or portable navigation systems.