Star Publishes Analysis of the Global Vehicle Companion Applications Landscape

SAN FRANCISCO, June 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Star, global Strategy, Design and Engineering consultancy, has published a report, "Understanding the vehicle companion applications global landscape". This is an extensive analysis of vehicle companion applications, comparing the app features across brands and regions.

"Long gone are the days when companion applications were just another marketing feature being sold to consumers. They are now becoming a valuable medium for brand discovery and loyalty as well as a channel for value-added digital services created by OEMs and their partners," states Oleg Lebedyn, Head of Architecture, Automotive & Mobility at Star and co-author of the report. "With this research we wanted to have a broader view on the functions offered in the apps by the front-running OEMs, analyze UX and understand what's coming in the next 5 years."

Complete mapping of companion app landscape

This comprehensive trend report looks at selected global OEMs in every major automotive production region, i.e. the United States, China, Japan and Europe. In all, Star analyzed 22 brands and 69 different applications. The report contains four main sections of observations and insights, including:

• A complete breakdown of feature categories per brand
• Analysis on the most and least common features
• Application functions that stand out from the crowd
• Eight future-shaping trends identified by Star

Need for a holistic approach

"One of the key insights that came out of our research was the fact that the user experience is quite fragmented at this point," Oleg Lebedyn comments. "While OEMs are catching up, users still frequently have to download multiple apps for different features. There is also very little being done to support early stages of the user journey prior to the vehicle being purchased. Clearly, OEMs need to take a more holistic approach to user experience, and the ones who are able to do this first, and successfully, will have a definite competitive advantage."

The report is available for free on Star's website: Vehicle companion applications global landscape

About Star

Star is a global team of product creators. We connect strategy, design and engineering into a seamless workflow and deliver impactful technology products that stand out. Over 40% of Star's business is in the Automotive & Mobility industries, and we partner with 20+ of the world's leading OEMs, Tier 1s and startups in the mobility space. Using our deep automotive experience, proven delivery model, integrated team approach and agile DNA, we help our customers define and realize any digital experience consumers have, whether inside or outside the vehicle.

Contacts:

[email protected]  
www.star.global 

SOURCE Star