With the auto infotainment market growing rapidly, IHS reports that Panasonic was the 2012 leader for equipment that delivers information and entertainment to motorists. The report states that Panasonic posted revenue of nearly $4 billion, a 12.1% share of the global market. The only manufacturer to take a double-digit share of the market, Panasonic’s success was attributed to the company’s dealings with original equipment manufacturers (OEM) as they topped the list for the second year in a row.
Japanese companies performed well as a whole, taking six of the top ten spots, with strong representation from American and German companies as well. Second place went to Pioneer (Japan) with revenue of $3.21 billion and market share of 9.8%. American company, Harman International, came in at number three with revenue amounting to $3.10 billion and a 9.4% market share. The number four spot went to Continental of Germany with $2.62 billion (7.9%), and Alpine/Alps Electric of Japan rounded out the top five with $2.49 billion (7.6%).
The second half of the list saw Denso (Japan) in the sixth spot, Fujitsu-Ten (Japan) in the seventh, Garmin (US) in the eighth, Kenwood (Japan) in the ninth, and Bosch (Germany) in the tenth. With the entire infotainment industry seeing an increase in importance, IHS reports that an intuitive interface is now becoming a major purchase decision for consumers looking to buy new cars.