Real Time Traffic: “The Big Revolution is Two-Way Traffic Data” (1 of 4)

INTERVIEW: The world of real time traffic data is increasingly fluid. To get an overview of the market GPS Business News spoke to Roger Lanctot, senior analyst with Strategy Analytics, about the emergence of more efficient data delivery methods, two-way traffic data, the leveraging of Bluetooth monitoring data, traffic camera information and Nokia’s potential to take over this industry.  

Roger Lanctot

Bigger pipes to the car and increasing two-way communication between vehicles are two factors likely to dominate real time traffic in the key US and European markets over the next few years.

That’s according to Roger Lanctot, senior analyst with Strategy Analytics’ Global Automotive Practice, who expects vehicles with traffic data to almost automatically become probes in their own networks.

In an interview with GPS Business News he began by giving an overview of the real time traffic data market in the US. Lanctot said the dominant player today for systems in cars is NAVTEQ with its Traffic.com-based solution. This is thanks in large part to the partnership with SiriusXM.

In the more competitive mobile device space, he said INRIX is the dominant player – although the marketplace is changing rapidly.

“Or as rapidly as the automotive industry can change. This is why mobile is so significant because it can change in a heartbeat,” he said.

“But we are talking about data and server-based solutions, algorithmic technology. That doesn’t change quickly because what car makers, and even device makers, are looking for is global solutions. Those do take a bit of time to refine and roll out.”

However, Lanctot said the connectivity profile is changing – and it’s different in the US than it is in Europe. He said despite the US having a digital radio infrastructure in place it had not yet become standard. “It’s probably on its way to becoming standard in cars. An important reason for that is the enhanced data services like weather, parking, news and of course TPEG-based traffic,” he said.

“But HD radio is only available for about 50% of cars – and that’s a real rough estimate.”

Lanctot said while digital radio is in the process of getting deployed, the dominant platform for real time traffic remains satellite radio.

He said auto-makers are still embracing embedded or smartphone connectivity piece by piece in the car.

From a smartphone connectivity perspective, however, mobile is beginning to influence automotive solutions.

“That is manifesting with Ford SYNC and MyFord Touch, which is using the INRIX real-time traffic,” he said. “I believe Toyota has adopted INRIX for the entune connectivity platform.

“Now, you have OnStar, which has a 2.5G embedded modem, currently using Traffic.com over the satellite radio feed, not over the modem into the car. They are planning to shift to TrafficCast actually for real-time traffic data.”

Continued…

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