Aftermarket and Original Equipment Market Pose Distinct Challenges

Infotainment systems and services are becoming increasingly popular with vehicle owners and look set to be one of the major automotive growth areas in future. Different customer demand patterns and product development cycles induce distinct challenges in the aftermarket and the original equipment (OE) market. The aftermarket has led the way in the European in-car infotainment market thus far, largely because its speedy reactions to innovations have enabled early adopters to purchase more sophisticated products than vehicle manufacturers are prepared to offer in their cars. The aftermarket is likely to continue to play a significant role vis-à-vis the introduction of innovative technologies; while the focus in the OE market is likely to increasingly be on integration to address growing consumer demand for features such as entertainment, emergency assistance, gaming, information and navigation.

This research is a comprehensive study of the European in-car infotainment market, examined by aftermarket and OE market. It discusses infotainment technologies, vendors' product strategies and major market and technology trends. This research also profiles selected vehicle manufacturers and key value chain participants, offering valuable competitive intelligence.

Continuous Growth Makes In-car Infotainment Market Attractive

Continuously emerging new technologies and services contribute to the dynamism of the constantly growing in-car infotainment market. Since people are spending a good part of their day in the car, there is a growing demand for high-quality audio and information content while on the road. "For both vehicle manufacturers and systems suppliers, this offers huge potential for revenues as drivers are willing to invest in infotainment to obtain superior sound quality level in their cars," says the analyst of this research.

Indeed, customer willingness to pay for high-quality sound equal to that of home electronics has enabled market participants to sell products with considerable margins. Vehicle manufacturers are now increasingly integrating infotainment systems with vehicle functions, having observed the high revenue levels in the aftermarket.

Infotainment Systems Act as Strong Product Differentiators

"Vehicle manufacturers are starting to integrate infotainment systems to achieve much-desired product differentiation," notes the analyst. The trend toward integration has led vehicle manufacturers to design uniquely-shaped head units or human machine interfaces (HMI). The fact that the actual device is no longer on display means that the head unit can be adapted to reflect the brand or a specific model of a manufacturer. This enables the device itself to be effortlessly shared across platforms or modules. Infotainment systems are, therefore, widely regarded as key product differentiators for vehicle manufacturers.