AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - July 18, 2016) - In the U.S. the automobile is central to many consumers' lives, with a large group spending more than an hour each day in their car. These car-centric consumers, who are also tied to their smartphones, are driving the connected car market in the U.S. and have created an opportunity for automobile OEMs, technology OEMs, and mobile operators to provide valuable services through the users' vehicles. Furthermore, auto manufacturers view the connected car market as an opportunity to use mobile communications to provide safety features, such as emergency services, and remote diagnosis and management of their vehicles.

iGR, a market research consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile industry, has recently released a new market study that overviews the current state of the connected car market, and has found that this relatively new market has matured significantly in the last two to three years, as many providers have fine tuned and improved their second or third generation of solutions and have decided on a strategy to provide connected car solutions. However, challenges still exist for the many players in the ecosystem.

"The connected car market, as part of the larger IoT market, will experience growth over the next five years," said Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR. "Some connected car solutions, such as LTE Wi-Fi hotspots, will become more readily available throughout the forecast period and prompt an increased number of mobile connections and increased data usage."

iGR's new market study, U.S. Connected Car Market Forecast, 2015 - 2020: Increasing Mobile Connectivity and Data Usage, examines connected car services available in the market today and those that are proposed for the future, as it also discusses the drivers and challenges of implementation. The market study also highlights consumers' use of mobile services in their vehicles, as defined by a survey of over one thousand U.S. mobile consumers that iGR fielded in May 2016. Finally, this market study provides a five-year forecast of the number of connected cars in the U.S. (according to multiple definitions) and the associated mobile data usage.

The following key questions are addressed in the new study:

• What different types of connected car solutions are available and how are these solutions developing?
• What are some of the drivers and challenges of the connected car market?
• Which connected car services are being offered by major automakers and how do these services compare to those offered in 2013?
• Which alliances are shaping the connected car market?
• Which mobile services do U.S. mobile consumers surveyed by iGR generally use in their cars?
• What is the five-year forecast for the number of cars in the U.S. that are equipped with a direct mobile connection?
• How many of these connected cars have an active mobile connection (usually with a subscription), both now and five years from now?
• How many cars in the U.S. use a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone to provide connectivity?
• What is the five-year forecast for the mobile data usage of the average connected car, as well as the total U.S. connected car market?
• Which companies provide products or services for the connected car market?

The information in this market study will be valuable for:

• Developers of mobile apps
• Mobile device OEMs
• Mobile service providers
• Car and vehicle manufacturers
• Financial and investment analysts

The new report can be purchased and downloaded directly from iGR's website at www.iGR-inc.com. Alternatively, contact Iain Gillott at (512) 263-5682 or at Iain@iGR-inc.com for additional details.

About iGR

iGR is a market strategy consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile communications industry. Founded by Iain Gillott, one of the wireless industry's leading analysts, in late 2000 as iGillottResearch, iGR is now in its sixteenth year of operation. iGR continuously researches emerging and existent technologies, technology industries, and consumer markets. We use our detailed research to offer a range of services to help companies improve their position in the marketplace, clearly define their future direction, and ultimately improve their bottom line.

iGR researches a range of wireless and mobile products and technologies, including: smartphones; tablets; mobile wearable devices; connected cars; mobile applications; bandwidth demand and use; small cell and het-net architectures; mobile EPC and RAN virtualization; DAS; LTE; VoLTE; IMS; NFC; GSM/GPRS/UMTS/HSPA; CDMA 1x/EV-DO; iDEN; SIP; macro-, pico- and femtocells; mobile backhaul; WiFi and WiFi offload; and SIM and UICC.

A more complete profile of the company can be found at www.igr-inc.com.