QNX and Windows Embedded Automotive Market Share to Drop to 69% with Open Source Linux/GENIVI Grabbing 20% of Automotive OS Shipments by end of 2018

ABI Research forecasts that the number of OEM-installed connected car telematics systems will increase from around 7.8 million at the end of 2012 to 46.8 million units globally by the end of 2018, with Linux/GENIVI platforms accounting for an increasing percentage of shipments during the period.

At present, QNX Software and Microsoft together account for around 75 to 80% of the car-infotainment OS market. However, questions remain about the long-term future of proprietary automotive OSes.

“The automotive industry is set for a number of dramatic paradigm shifts,” said principal analyst, Gareth Owen. “The adoption of open source platforms, such as GENIVI is just one example. In this regard, the automotive industry mirrors trends in mobile.”

“QNX is responding by making its car platform more open,” continued Owen. “In particular, developers can now tap into established and innovative mobile-developer eco-systems for Android, HTML5, and Qt 5 apps. With the pace of change in automotive still being quite slow, the mid-term future for QNX still looks bright. Plus QNX has the important advantage of having a tried and tested optimized solution. Hence, QNX is still an attractive solution for a risk-averse automotive industry.”

Although open source software has only appeared in one high-profile application so far: the Linux-powered CUE infotainment system in the 2013 General Motors Cadillac model range, ABI Research expects that Linux and Linux GENIVI-based platforms will slowly displace Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Automotive OS in importance, despite the fact that it too has taken steps to “open-up” parts of its platform.

These findings are part of ABI Research’s Automotive Infotainment Research Service which provides analysis of key developments and trends in the marketplace and quantitative information via its extensive car infotainment database. Updated on a quarterly basis, the database provides detailed installed base and forecasts of the car infotainment market by type and region as well as detailed information and forecasts on Bluetooth penetration in cars, automotive apps, and automotive operating systems split by global region.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 70+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.