Automobile-Based Internet Services Rates High in Driver Survey
18 January 2000
Demand for Automobile-Based Internet Services Rates High in Driver Survey
SEATTLE Jan. 18, 2000--turn-by-turn directions, predictive traffic information and
vehicle diagnostics while on the road--
Drivers want information delivered wirelessly to their car to make commuting easier.
94 percent of respondents in a recent on-line market survey from E-valuations.com said they want to receive real-time, location-specific Internet applications in the car. The survey was sponsored by InfoMove to quantify the number of drivers interested in wireless Internet services in their vehicles.
Among the different Internet-based applications listed in the survey, wireless turn-by-turn driving instructions rated the highest with 75 percent of respondents expressing interest in receiving this application in their car. This is followed by 74 percent wanting to receive real-time speed trap warnings while driving, and 72 percent wanting live, localized traffic alerts.
Heavy commuters, those who spend an hour or more in the car each day, were most interested in receiving personalized and predictive traffic information.
70 percent of respondents wanted vehicle diagnostic information, with 61 percent of respondents saying that estimates of repair costs and maintenance schedule reminders delivered wirelessly to their vehicle would be useful.
Out of the 517 total respondents, only 6 percent said they were not interested in any type of wireless Internet services in their vehicle.
The survey, commissioned by InfoMove was created to measure the demand for in-vehicle wireless Internet services. E-valuations.com, one of the first companies established solely to provide online market research services, surveyed 517 US home-based Internet users who drive to work. The survey was conducted in December 1999.
Of those surveyed that identified themselves as early technology adopters, 78 percent want to access e-mail from their car, while only 7 percent of the general sample responded that access to e-mail was a feature they wanted.
"Demand for wireless Internet services in the car is being fueled by the desire to have the most up-to-date, relevant and accurate information while on the road," said Rachel Williams of E-valuations.com. "Drivers want to make their commutes more productive."
85 percent of respondents would be willing to up to $10 per month for these in-vehicle Internet services. Heavy commuters and early technology adopters are willing to pay more than the general population of respondents with 55 percent of heavy commuters and 54 percent of early technology adopters willing to pay up to $20 per month. Only 15 percent of all respondents would not pay for these types of services at all.
Finally, 85 percent of those surveyed would be willing to accept banner advertisements on their in-car computer system in order to subsidize the cost of the device and service.
The survey has an overall margin of error of + or - 4.3 percent.
To request more information or for additional details about the survey, visit www.infomove.com/survey.
About InfoMove
InfoMove is the first company to integrate Internet, wireless and global positioning system (GPS) technologies to deliver a unique suite of personalized Internet content into the car on palm-sized and handheld PC devices and WAP cell phones. InfoMove services include real-time and predictive traffic, audible turn-by-turn directions, wireless vehicle diagnostics, maintenance alerts, emergency services, location-based advertising and text-to-speech enabled e-mail capabilities. InfoMove private labels its content and services to Internet portals, automotive suppliers and manufacturers, mobile computing device manufacturers, and vertical Internet destination sites.
InfoMove was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Seattle. It has strategic relationships with content providers and technology developers such as BSQUARE, Engage Technologies (a CMGI company), Clifford Electronics and Etak. The company is working with leading automotive and device manufacturers to deliver this unique solution to customers in Q3 2000.
