Supplier competition intensifies for infotainment software

The battle for the dashboard will intensify as companies fight to supply the brains and technology behind increasingly sophisticated infotainment systems. In western Europe, the market for content-rich systems using dashboard displays of 4.5 inches and more will rise to 3.0 billion euros by 2020 from 2.5 billion euros now, according to analysts IHS Automotive. The number of new cars equipped with these more expensive systems in western Europe will rise to 40 percent from 20 percent in the same time period as customers increasingly demand smartphone-like connectivity and usability, the company predicts.