...however, ABI Research believes it has now reached its lowest ebb. While pure navigation is unlikely to reach the highs of 2008 again, the overall market is reaching a revenue plateau, creating a solid platform on which connected in-car services can bring a new generation of revenue growth. Senior analyst Patrick Connolly said,” When we look at the decline from 2008 to 2011, there is a perfect storm of economic conditions, low-cost/free smartphone navigation, the decline of PNDs, and falling car sales. The market is forecast to reach a low of $22 billion this year, before fluctuating around the $22-$24 billion mark, as a new period of growth for factory-fitted solutions, coupled with smartphone solutions, will take in-car navigation towards saturation point in many regions by 2017.”
Factory-fitted solutions will bring new revenue opportunities, especially for PND manufacturers. But the real growth opportunity will be the additional revenues that in-car connectivity will bring. Companies are fighting for a near-30 million connected car platform market in 2017; with many of the winners and losers decided over the next 2 years. These findings are part of ABI Research’s GPS & GNSS Research Service which includes additional Competitive Analyses, Vendor Matrices, Market Data, and Insights. In ABI Research’s quarterly service, “GPS&GNSS”, all forms of in-car navigation are considered, including factory fitted, aftermarket, PNDs, and smartphones.