• Emotional intelligence and in-car voice biometrics will create opportunities for OEMs and start-ups seeking new business models, finds Frost & Sullivan
Digital assistants are rapidly emerging the primary input medium in human-machine interface (HMI), creating new opportunities for in-vehicle engagement services. Digital assistants offer a smart and intuitive way to operate features in the vehicle and assure minimum driver distraction. Presently, their capabilities are targeted at systems that deliver navigation and entertainment services in cars to enhance users’ multimedia experience; however, future use-cases will focus on the safety and security of the vehicle and the driver.
“With the rising popularity of connected services such as traffic information and local search, digital assistants have become a key differentiator for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). OEM-branded digital assistants will help automakers strengthen their brand and convert one-time sales into continual service-centric relationships,” said Anubhav Grover, Research Analyst, Mobility. “OEMs are aiming to create their own branded digital assistants that will co-exist and integrate with third-party and tech-branded digital assistants. BMW has already launched its own Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA), which uses Alexa to access Amazon‘s e-commerce and Cortana for Microsoft Office.”
Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Strategic Analysis of Automotive Digital Assistants, Forecast to 2025, studies the competitive landscape, business models, and future focus areas of OEMs, digital assistant suppliers, and technology companies. It examines the trends in artificial intelligence integration and voice biometrics. Furthermore, it analyzes the different strategies adopted by OEMs, tier-I suppliers, and technology startups in North America, Europe, and China.
“North America is expected to continue leading the adoption of digital assistant solutions. Meanwhile, with higher penetration of long-term evolution (LTE) and greater production capacity in China, Asia-Pacific is expected to be a growth hub for OEMs,” noted Grover. “Digital assistant developers are increasingly building strategic partnerships with telecom providers and communication module makers to enhance on-road safety and in-vehicle data-rich services. Flexible business models such as ‘choice of network‘ for consumers will further improve customer retention and revenue generation.”
For greater growth opportunities, digital assistant companies are likely to:
- Employ a hybrid approach with a mix of embedded solutions and cloud-based services.
- Apply concepts like augmented reality and marketplace to contextual services in partnership with merchants and platform providers to extend personalized service straight to the vehicle.
- Utilize cloud platform capabilities such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to offer compelling features that remain a challenge to replicate on the premises.
- Ensure data privacy and protect automotive data stored in AI systems.
Strategic Analysis of Automotive Digital Assistants, Forecast to 2025, is part of Frost & Sullivan’s global Automotive & Transportation Growth Partnership Service program.
