Boston, MA - December 27, 2006 -The Strategy Analytics Automotive Multimedia & Communications Service report, "Infotainment Semiconductor Demand," notes that a semiconductor market expected to be worth $5 billion by 2013 is growing because of in-vehicle infotainment trends for greater feature content and consumer expectations for higher quality audio and video experience, as well as the availability of connectivity for personal entertainment and communication devices. .

Strategy Analytics forecasts that the semiconductor demand from OEM and Aftermarket infotainment systems (Audio/Visual entertainment, navigation and eCall telematics) in North America, Europe and Japan will grow from $2.9 billion in 2005 to $5.0 billion by 2013, representing a CAAGR of 7 percent.

Chris Webber, VP in the Global Automotive Practice, noted "In-vehicle audio entertainment is largely a mature semiconductor application. However, the rollout of new digital broadcasting technologies, such as satellite radio, an increasing demand for transferring, storing and playing compressible file formats from expanding "soft content" sources, and an ability to interface with the portable music players and communications devices consumers carry, are together creating new design-in opportunities for semiconductor vendors."

In the period up to 2013, broader deployment of emergency-Call (eCall) telematics, particularly in Europe, is expected to drive the growth and boost demand for GPS and communications semiconductor devices. However, audio and video entertainment will continue to account for the majority of demand revenues.

Automotive OE & Aftermarket Semiconductor Demand* by Application

*NAFTA, Europe, Japan Source: Strategy Analytics