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Automotive Navigation Heads Into The Cloud

According to the market research firm iSuppli Corp., automotive navigation systems increasingly are transitioning from standalone devices to connected systems capable of accessing up-to-date map data and other information from the cloud.

About 20 percent of in-vehicle navigation systems sold in 2010 will include connectivity, either through an embedded modem or a tethered mobile device, amounting to 1.8 million units. This will rise to 90 percent in 2017, amounting to 27 million units.

Cloud-sourced navigation is an evolution of connected navigation systemsa trend that started several years ago. Traditional car navigation systems use databases stored on the device itself but future navigation systems will rely on information that is stored in the cloud. Maps, points of interest, traffic and weather are examples of cloud-sourced content that is enabled through connectivity.

Rising sales of navigation systems with two-way connectivity are being fueled by the advantages of connecting to the cloud, said Phil Magney, Vice President (Automotive Research) at iSuppli. By connecting to the cloud, navigation systems give motorists access to the most up-to-date databases in the world. Traffic, weather, and points of interest change constantly, so access to the cloud is vital.

Static databases will become a thing of the past in automotive navigation during the next 10 years, said Egil Juliussen, Principal Analyst & Fellow (Automotive Research) at iSuppli. Connectivity means motorists will have multiple options in terms of on-board and off-board navigation resources.

On-board connected navigation systems that store maps on the device will refresh periodically to reflect changes and updates. In contrast, off-board navigation systemswhich access a server for map datawill need constant connectivity. Both employ cloud-based data access.

Traffic information is the leading cloud-sourced service for navigation systems, which is constantly refreshed to reflect the latest updates. Several more cloud-based navigation services are being employed including weather information, Point of Interest (POI) search, destination download, traffic camera visuals and map updates.

Worldwide sales of all types of navigation systems will exceed 100 million units in 2010, with smart phones and Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs) accounting for the bulk of the units. Slightly more than 9 million in-vehicle navigation systems will be sold in 2010, dwarfed by the nearly 100 million PND and smart phone sales.

Smart phones will generate the growth in the navigation segment. PND shipments during the next decade are forecasted to be at about 40 million units. In comparison, 330 million smart phones with navigation will be sold in 2017.

Smartphone navigation increasingly is becoming free of charge and the use case is mostly in the autoalthough pedestrian navigation is beginning to emerge. By 2017, many of the smart phone-based navigation solutions will be integrated within the vehicle system where the display is shown on the head-unit and the voice guidance and voice input are through the vehicles Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Visit http://www.isuppli.com/Automotive-Infotainment-and-Telematics/Pages/Navigation-Telematics-and-Digital-Entertainment.aspx to know more about iSupplis Navigation, Telematics & Digital Entertainment services.

Automotive Parts Suppliers Services Right At Your Doorsteps

Generally, the automotive parts are being considered very expensive for buying. Therefore, to get these parts at the cheaper rates, one should try to do the necessary research either offline or online. One can definitely collect all the required information regarding the various famous automotive parts suppliers via web portals especially dedicated to the field. Some of the very common components of these automobiles that people look for often, include car door, camshaft, crankshaft, clutch, catalytic converter, battery, bumper, belts, brakes, anti lock brake system and the air filter.

Searching for the automotive parts suppliers via online mode has surely made life much easier for number of customers worldwide. One need not to run from the pillar to the post for finding out best quality of the automotive part within the affordable rates. Online shopping of products has made working process simpler. The manufacturers and the wholesalers who have a reputed name internationally have also opened their plants worldwide so as to reach the global customer range. This boosted not only their business but the availability of quality products as well. You can check the products catalogue on their official websites for convenient selection and purchase thereby.

Purchasing of automotive parts via online has various advantages as compared with the traditional stores. With the help of the web and the computer technology, one can easily surf the available online automotive stores right from their home or office. They can even crack some of the best deals with various dealers and the suppliers. One can even draw various comparisons between the services, prices and the various online stores in a matter of just few minutes. There are various automotive parts suppliers who have made their websites so much interactive and convenient that any type of the suggestion and the query can be enquired via Internet.

Most of these websites offers almost all of the required information about the automotive manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, dealers and the stores. Therefore, before purchasing any of the automotive parts one should consider the warranty, contact details, product quality and the prices. Apart from this information, there are various websites who are providing the basic reviews from the previous customers and the professional agencies which also help in taking decisions very conveniently. Through the online availability of the automotive parts suppliers, one can surely order various parts and can therefore, save lot of time and money.

The online automotive parts suppliers contain various non factory parts, also the used and the after market parts that are very hard to get through the traditional ways of the marketing. The facility of the immediate ordering enhances the online mode of doing shopping more often. Some of the online parts suppliers are also offering various quality assurance and the discounts with the good warranty on the already used or the new components of the auto parts. One can get some of the best automotive parts from various stores available within the prescribed budget. So, this will prove shopping at ones own convenience.

Automotive and Transportation Email Marketing Strategy

You have recently opened a limousine hire service targeted towards tourists and others who are looking to enjoy a luxurious chauffer driven ride on a special occasion. Your biggest problem is that business spikes at certain times during the year (college graduations, wedding seasons, etc) and experiences a lull the rest of the year.

This strategy will help you stabilize your business all year round and keep the cash coming in even during times of traditional slowdown.

Who is your customer?

Be it a college graduation, prom night, wedding day, or tourists day out, your customer is typically a luxury seeker. He or she prefers to drive around in style, but can only afford to do so on special occasions. To work around this, you need to focus on customers who can afford limousine rentals on an everyday basis. Hence your target profile should be large corporate companies who have their head offices located in the vicinity of your service. This way you would be able to ensure business all year round by becoming the preferred vendor for the companys board of directors and other staff entitled to luxury cars.

What is the best thing you can do for that customer?

Corporate offices expect the very best in terms of service from their vendors and are willing to pay a little extra to get it. Offer dedicated cars and chauffeurs to each corporate that signs an annual contract. Offer value added benefits to retain such customers by guaranteeing them additional cars within a one hour notice period and so on.

How are you going to do it?

Ensure you have a sufficiently large fleet of new limousines as well as professional chauffeurs. If required, you could enter a sub-contract with other limousine hire services located around you to make up for excess demand. Create a database of all the offices within a predetermined radius of your rental office.

Invite them, via email, to join your Privilege Club of customers who are entitled to special benefits when they signed up for half-yearly or annual contracts. Incentivize such deals not only with discounted pricing but more through value added services such as dedicated cars and chauffeurs.

Dont forget to say thank you

Every new member of the Privilege Club gets a thank you email and a gift hamper. Also include a link to a survey with the following suggested questions and others of your own.

What is your companys daily requirement of luxury cars?

Is this a fixed or flexible requirement? Are there any times of the year when the can foretell a spike in requirement? What are the key factors that decide their choice of a car vendor service, pricing, availability, newness of fleet, etc?

When to communicate with your members

In order to maintain ties, send out email newsletters on monthly or quarterly basis. Use the newsletter to inform them of any special offers for employees and one time hires as well as of upgrades to your fleet or service.

Of course you must also contact them one month prior to the expiry of their contract urging them to renew it. If you do not hear from them, send a follow up email one and two weeks after your initial mail.

How do you measure success?

Conduct quarterly surveys of your existing customer database to judge their level of satisfaction across various service and pricing parameters.

Build Build Build. Measure new as well as lapsed corporate partners on a monthly basis and compare numbers and turnover with like periods across the past few years. The more people that sign up for annual Privilege Club memberships, the more stable your business will become!

A Comparison Of Recent Toyota Camry And Toyota Celica Engines

This author loves the Toyota Camry and Celica for completely different reasons, and has always had a fascination with the different vehicles a single engine design can go into.

Power to weight ratio is huge in determining whether or not a vehicle has takeoff or starts rolling like a slug on its way to the salt mines, and for a while, the Celica and the Camry both used the same engine. Well examine Toyota Camry and Toyota Celica engines in this article and briefly touch on their performance and some replacement options.

5SFE. The engine that powered Toyota for a decade. And for a while, it was the Toyota Celica engine and the Toyota Camry engine at the same time! While other Toyota Celica engines are more commonly thought of by mechanics as the engine powering Celicas (the 3SGTE, 1ZZFE and 2ZZGE come to mine), the 5SFE powered both Camrys and Celicas from 1992-1999 (through 2001 on the Camry).

Edmunds called the 5SFE engine lazy for a sports car, but the truth is that for the weight of the vehicles it went into, it was more than adequate. But lets face it, it was an engine designed primarily to go into a family sedan the Toyota Camry.

So, for the 2000 Model year, two new Toyota Celica engines were put into play: the 1ZZFE and the 2ZZGE engine. The 1ZZFE engine for the Celica was the old Corolla engine upgraded to include VVT variable valve timing. The 2ZZGE was all new as far as Toyota Celica engine go, and included a lot more get up and go. The 5SFE wasnt infallible for the Camry either in 2002, it was replaced with the 2AZFE, which was a 2.4L engine with more get up and go to match a frame that had more weight.

One of the most common questions I hear about these engines is whether one is better than the other (speaking of the 1ZZFE vs. the 2AZFE). The truth is that there havent been any published studies on failure rates for either engine, let alone a study comparing the two. As someone who has worked in the automotive industry for almost a decade, I can tell you that for the number of vehicles on the road, neither seems to have a high failure rate.

This reliability has had the effect of helping Toyotas retain value and become prime candidates for repowering when engines fail. If you find yourself in need of a new engine for your Camry or Celica, you might want to consider a used Toyota engine. There are plenty of JDM engine options available for the 5SFE, but for 1ZZFE, 2ZZGE, and 2ASFE, a used Toyota engine from a wrecked vehicle will be your best option.

You should start with yellowpages.com and do a search for used engine providers in your area. When you find some, check and recheck the companies, because there are both honorable companies and companies that will flat out rob you. Investigate the record of any company youre considering doing business with through the BBB to make sure they have a good track record and not a rap sheet a mile long.

Automotive Industry The US Hybrid Vehicles Market Research Report

The rising gas prices, continuing federal and government support, decreasing dependency on imported crude, recharging infrastructure, upcoming cost-effective hybrid batteries and the change in consumer perspectives to drive the US hybrid vehicles market in the future

Hybrid vehicles market has been one of the fastest growing sectors in the US, due to the incorporation of the green technology concept. Additionally, higher fuel economy standards, increasing growth in per capita income, increasing battery life, durability, safety and hybrids economies of scale is also expected to further strengthen the hybrid vehicles market in the country. The US hybrid vehicles market has experienced CAGR of 7.6% over the period 2007-2013.

The full/mild hybrids have driven the hybrid vehicles market significantly in the US. However, plug-in hybrids represent an emerging hybrid market in the US with a strong rate. California, New York, Florida, Texas and New Jersey were few leading states in the US hybrid vehicles market. The issues related to the battery development process, potential challenges and pricing of the hybrid vehicles has been discussed.

The leading automobile companies dominating the US hybrid vehicles market include Toyota, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai and Honda. The major hybrid vehicle models which were sold by these companies include four models of the Toyota Prius Family, Lexus ES, Ford Fusion, GM Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Sonata and Honda Civic.

Hybrid vehicles market is in the process of mass adoption and is gradually moving towards being a major market in the US automobile based economy. As a result of the government regulations, environmental regulations, rising gas prices, increase in per capita income and recharging infrastructure over the past few years, with the implementation of stringent environmental norms, there has been a remarkable increase in the hybrid vehicles market in the country. This has resulted in increased awareness among the consumers towards eco-friendly hybrid vehicles.

The report titled -The US Hybrid Vehicles Market Outlook to 2018 – Government Strategy and Cost-effective Hybrids to Escalate Demand- provides detailed overview on hybrid vehicles market in the US and helps reader to identify the ongoing trends and developments in the hybrid vehicles industry and anticipated growth in future depending upon changing industry dynamics in coming years. The report will aid industry consultants, hybrid vehicle manufacturing companies, marketing companies and other stakeholders and consumers to align their market centric strategies according to ongoing and expected trends in future.