Technology research specialist Juniper Research suggests in a new research report, “Connected Cars Automotive Telematics & In-Vehicle Infotainment 2013-2017,” that as many as 20% of the cars on North American and West European roads in 2017 could be “connected” to IP networks via apps.
Much of the connection will be through smartphones riding along in the car. Report author Anthony Cox said, “Sky-high smartphone ownership and a standardized approach to integrating apps into the vehicle head-unit mean that the barriers to making the connected car a reality have all but gone.”
The report also notes that “fleet telematics,” the outfitting of commercial vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-office communications and automation could drive adoption of consumer connectedness. It also notes that many such programs have started but there is insufficient coordination in development, though that is changing as the developers see the advantage of industry groups and standards. The same can be said for many consumer-oriented systems such as Aha and individual brand efforts such as Ford’s Sync and Toyota’s Entune, Juniper also expects that insurance companies will become leading drivers in the adoption of car-oriented apps and connectedness.
