DALLAS, Oct. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Three out of every
four consumers said they consider connected car services an
important feature in their next car purchase, according to a new
AT&T* Drive Studio and Ericsson study documenting the
significant influence that connected car features and services are
expected to have on customers' vehicle purchase decisions in the
future.
This is the second year for the study which focused on connected
car awareness, feature preferences and purchase drivers. The data
was sourced from customers likely to buy a car in the next three
years in the United States,
Germany, Brazil, Mexico and China and the survey was conducted in
July 2015.
The term "connected car," as defined in the study, is a car
equipped with a wireless internet connection. This allows the car
to run applications such as streaming music services and internet
radio, use navigation services with real-time traffic updates,
conduct local searches, use restaurant services and more, all from
the car's dashboard. This connectivity also allows the car to
operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot, sharing a wireless internet connection
with other devices in the car.
Orvar Hurtig, vice president,
Ericsson Global Services and Head of Industry and Society at
Ericsson, said, "For the second year in a row, we are witnessing a
growing trend where consumers in different parts of the world are
not only increasingly aware of the term connected car, but they are
placing greater importance on connected car features and
services.
"In addition to safety and infotainment features enabled by
connectivity, automakers can also use the connectivity for over the
air software updates and advanced downloadable engine
configurations. For the consumer, this means that connected car
services will open up the ability to add new capabilities to their
car and enhance their driving experience for years after they
purchase a connected car."
The study found:
- 62% percent of US survey respondents are aware of the term
"connected car."
- The Wi-Fi hotspot ranked as the No. 1 feature that US customers
are willing to purchase for their car.
- Almost 75% of those surveyed globally, after learning about
connected car services, consider them an important feature in their
next car.
- 78% of car buyers globally would delay a purchase by one year
to buy a car with connected car services from their preferred
brand.
- When priced, US consumers prefer to add their connected car
wireless connectivity to a shared data plan.
"This study confirms that drivers today are tech savvy and value
services that improve their driving experience," said Chris Penrose, senior vice president, Internet
of Things, AT&T Mobility. "It's great to see that more
drivers understand what a connected car enables them to do. With
this increased awareness, we believe you'll see adoption of
integrated wireless connectivity in the car continue to take
off."
Ericsson is a contributor to the AT&T Drive platform,
providing a cloud-based platform on which automakers can choose to
run their entire, customized connected car experience in a secure
manner. Material from the research report is available to
automakers through the AT&T Drive Studio.
AT&T's Connected Car Leadership
In 2014, AT&T launched two major initiatives to lead innovation
in the connected car space. The first was a pioneering connected
car innovation center in Atlanta,
called the AT&T Drive Studio. It also launched a new global
automotive solution and development platform, AT&T Drive.
AT&T Drive Studio features a working lab and showroom to
build and exhibit the latest innovations. It is a hub where
AT&T works directly with companies and responds to automakers'
opportunities.
AT&T Drive is the company's connected car platform. This
modular and flexible global solution helps car makers build unique
solutions for the marketplace. Auto makers can choose the services
and capabilities that are important to them. They can add features
for connectivity, billing, data analytics and infotainment.
AT&T is a telematics leader and connects vehicles around the
globe. In the second quarter of 2015, AT&T added 1.4 million
connected devices. Of those devices, nearly one million were
connected cars.
AT&T was the first major wireless carrier to launch a global
SIM platform for cars. The platform lets automotive, consumer and
machine-to-machine equipment makers use a single carrier to
wirelessly connect products across the globe.
For the complete array of AT&T offerings in the Internet of
Things portfolio, visit www.att.com/IoT.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by
subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T
brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About Ericsson
Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society – a
world leader in communications technology and services. Our
long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the
world allow people, business and society to fulfill their potential
and create a more sustainable future.
Our services, software and infrastructure – especially in
mobility, broadband and the cloud – are enabling the telecom
industry and other sectors to do better business, increase
efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new
opportunities.
With approximately 115,000 professionals and customers in 180
countries, we combine global scale with technology and services
leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion
subscribers. Forty percent of the world's mobile traffic is carried
over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and
development ensure that our solutions – and our customers – stay in
front.
Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2014 were
SEK 228.0 billion (USD 33.1 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ
OMX stock exchange in Stockholm
and the NASDAQ in New York.
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About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with
leading entertainment, mobile, high speed Internet and voice
services. We're the world's largest provider of pay TV. We have TV
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most reliable 4G LTE. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S.
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