Parks Associates: 92% of U.S. car owners perform activities that require mobile or Internet connection while driving

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Mar 29, 2017) - IoT research firm Parks Associates announced new connected car research today showing that 92% of U.S. car owners perform an activity that requires a mobile or Internet connection while driving. The Connected Car Experience: Software, Apps, and Services notes that in response to this consumer demand for in-car connectivity, U.S. automakers will spend $10.8 billion for in-vehicle software in 2017, increasing to $16 billion by 2022.

"One way automakers are trying to meet consumer demand for connected car technology is by implementing voice technologies in their vehicles, which follows the success and popularity of this interface with Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Google's Assistant," said Jennifer Kent, Director, Research Quality & Product Development, Parks Associates. "Nuance Dragon Drive's personal assistant is already deployed in more than 130 million cars from automakers such as Audi, BMW, Ford, and Toyota."

Parks Associates notes that despite increasing demand and adoption of connected cars, over 50% of U.S. car owners are concerned that connected car features will lead to distracted driving. GM, HARMAN, IBM Watson IoT, and Panasonic will join Parks Associates at the 21st-annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference, May 23-25 in San Francisco, to discuss the future of the connected car industry, including the convergence of the connected car and smart home markets.

"Auto Industry Transformation - Lessons and Opportunities for IoT Players," Wednesday, May 24, 11:15 a.m., moderated by Jennifer Kent, examines the lessons learned from the first phase of the connected car rollout, including data and privacy challenges, consumer perceptions, and their expectations for a connected car experience. Speakers also discuss strategies to tie the connected lifestyle together across connected car, home, energy, and entertainment ecosystems. Joining Kent on the panel are the following speakers:

• Kal Gyimesi, Automotive Marketing Leader, IBM Watson IoT
• Kurt Hoppe, Global Head of Innovation - Connected Car, GM
• Hakan Kostepen, Executive Director - Product Strategy & Innovation, Panasonic
• Tom Rivers, VP, Connected Car Marketing, HARMAN

"Drivers increasingly expect to be able to utilize their vehicles as extensions of their homes and mobile devices -- an integral part of their digital lifestyle," said Tom Rivers, VP, Connected Car Marketing, HARMAN. "Cars are becoming more connected and intelligent each day, reflecting the market demand for seamlessly simple user experiences in the car that simultaneously improve convenience and entertainment without compromising safety."

The Connected Car Experience: Software, Apps, and Services continues Parks Associates' coverage of the connected car industry by examining the connected car software developer sector to highlight innovations and new consumer experiences that will come to new car models in the next five years. It hones in on software and apps that can be built on top of a car's embedded operating system, through mirroring technology from a smartphone, or via an aftermarket product. The report concludes with an update on Parks Associates' five-year forecasts of connected car sales in the U.S.

To register for the 21st-annual CONNECTIONS™ conference, please visit http://bit.ly/CONNUSregistration. Follow the conference on Twitter at @CONNECTIONS_US, #CONNUS17, and on the CONNECTIONS™ Industry Insights Blog. To schedule an interview with an analyst or request specific research, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com, 720.987.6614.

About CONNECTIONS™
Parks Associates' 21st-annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference will take place May 23-25 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in San Francisco. CONNECTIONS™ is the premier connected home event hosting over 700 executives from the connected entertainment, IoT, and smart home industries. The event provides a day of pre-show research workshops highlighting Parks Associates' consumer data and analysis and two days of conference sessions focused on technology adoption and trends, forecasts for new products and services, evaluation of new business strategies, and recommendations about technology innovations, strategic partnerships, monetization opportunities, and value-added services.

The event provides executive networking opportunities and insights from industry leaders on entertainment, mobile, and smart home market segments. Throughout the event, sponsors offer tabletop demos during networking events, spotlighting new technology innovations and services.

For more information, contact sales@parksassociates.com, call 972-490-1113, visit www.connectionsconference.com.