SRI Consulting publishes study of driver information and vehicle safety and Control Intelligent Transportation Systems Markets.

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 1997--SRI Consulting (SRIC), a subsidiary of SRI International, has just published the third of four reports on intelligent transportation systems (ITS) from its $1 million research program: Intelligent Transportation Systems.

SRIC's new study, Market Report: Intelligent Vehicle Navigation Systems, Advanced Traveler Information Systems, Integrated Driver Information Systems and Vehicle Safety and Control Systems, focuses on the structures and sizes of these in-vehicle markets in North America, Europe and Japan over the next 15 years to 2011. The report forecasts these to be slower arriving in North America than in Europe or Japan, with equipment markets in these in-vehicle ITS application areas reaching a total of $22.5 billion annual sales in the three regions by 2011.

SRIC's market report on in-vehicle ITS products estimates the total annual markets in 2011 in the three geographic regions to be $8.4 billion for in-vehicle navigation systems equipment, $0.3 billion for advanced traveler information equipment, and $8.5 billion for vehicle safety and control systems. The largest market identified in the in-vehicle application areas addressed by the study is the integrated driver information systems (IDIS), which (including the in vehicle navigation and advanced traveler information components) will emerge over the next 5-10 years to provide annual sales of nearly $14 billion by 2011.

The use of SRI Consulting's Values and Lifestyles (VALS) Program as a foundation for its estimates makes the SRIC market forecasts (North America and Japan) unique and of special value to the ITS industry. By comparison with other market studies, SRIC's use of VALS to define target consumer markets for the in-vehicle ITS products has provided a lower in value and more realistic market forecast.

SRIC was able to take advantage of related comprehensive survey data on consumer-spending behavior to develop baseline starting points (or target markets of potentially interested consumers) for ITS product market estimates. Such an approach is critical for the ITS in-vehicle product areas evaluated in this market report, because individual consumer acceptance of the technologies and corresponding benefits will prove to be the most important factor determining market development for these specific driver information and vehicle safety and control ITS application areas.

The North American and Japanese in-vehicle market forecasts in this report make use of estimates based on data developed from -- a psycho graphic segmentation system that predicts consumer behavior -- to provide a higher level of analysis. The VALS methodology cannot provide a single psychographic model for the complex European multi-country consumer market, but the SRIC research team was still able to apply the principles of VALS consumer buying patterns to modify its market forecasts for Europe.

SRIC'S Multiclient Program

SRIC's Intelligent Transportation Systems multiclient research program is assisting companies and government agencies in the ITS industry to receive a global and independent view of the commercial prospects of intelligent transportation systems. Clients are learning-through four focused reports-how the technologies will undergo R&D and be applied in the various ITS sectors, how the markets will develop for these sectors in the next 15 years, and how companies are positioning themselves to take advantage of this new dynamic industry. The program's research focuses on: -0-

-- Traffic management and control

-- Fleet management

-- Driver information

-- Vehicle safety and control.

The first report, Technology and Application Evaluations, evaluated the likely adoption of different technologies in traffic management and control, electronic toll collection, fleet management, driver information and trip planning, and vehicle safety and control. The second report evaluated the dynamics of potential markets for ITS infrastructure systems: advanced traffic management and traffic control systems, and electronic toll collection systems. In addition markets for commercial vehicle operations and public vehicle fleet management systems were assessed.

The final report in SRIC's $1 million ITS program will assess the ITS activities and strategies of leading companies who have pioneered development of the ITS industry in the areas of driver information, fleet management, and vehicle safety and control. Research for this report is underway, and it will be available to clients of the program at the end of June 1997. A second phase of the ITS multiclient will commence in the summer of 1997.

For more information about joining SRI Consulting's ITS Multiclient program, please contact either Steve Baughman at 415/859-2365 or Dave Benson at 415/859-2397 (United States), Nick Evans at 44+181+686-5555 (Europe) or Kurao Tsuchiya at 81+3+3505-8911 (Japan).

SRI Consulting, a wholly owned subsidiary of SRI International, combines strategic business consulting with technology expertise to help companies compete more effectively in changing global markets. Silicon Valley-based SRI International, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 1996, is one of the world's largest research, technology development and consulting firms. -0-

Note to Editors: Visit the SRI Booth No. 107 for more information at the Seventh Annual Meeting of ITS America, June 2-5, 1997, at the Sheraton-Washington Hotel, Washington, DC.

CONTACT: The Weber Group

Gabrielle Friedly, 415/463-8610