European Consumer Issues With Off-Board Infotronics 98C017

As the European market for transport infotronics commences its transformation from a collection of very interesting, but restricted, research and development projects into an emerging consumer market, the industry needs to successfully address a number of fundamental issues if it is to fulfil its undoubted and universally recognized potential.

Firstly, the industry must recognize that the overwhelming majority of the general public are unmoved by the technology for technology's sake. The true motivation to acquire a sophisticated infotronics system is to gain access to a service, or series of services, that meet a recognized need at a price that represents value for money.

In addition to this basic, but fundamentally central principle, within Europe the industry faces a series of unique challenges, which will test the creativity of all those involved in the development of the market. Whilst politicians and global industries increasingly perceive Europe to be a single market, it remains (in reality at the consumer level) a series of individual nation states with different cultures, languages and, most importantly for infotronics, vastly different capabilities in its key supporting infrastructure. Those organizations which recognize these issues early and work to develop appropriate solutions will be the ones who succeed in the infotronics industry at a pan-European level