Telematics appears to be on its way to becoming almost as common in motor vehicles as, well, the motor.

Automotive telematics subscribers in the US alone will grow from 820,000 this year to more than 11 million in 2004, according to a study released today by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. In addition to voice uses of the cellular phone, banking and shopping will account for most vehicle telematics applications, the study found.

A full report due out next month is a follow-up to a Berger study in February that predicted the growth of automotive electronics applications would far outpace that of the world auto market in general.

"That dramatic growth was -- in effect -- the first electronics revolution in autos, and the surge in telematics is the second revolution," Roland Berger partner Michael M. Heidingsfelder said in a news release. "Now it's becoming clear that telematics will lead the electronics systems growth parade, and that consumer demand will drive the creation of an incredible array of vehicle features."

Telematics, the report says, will influence power train, chassis, safety, security, infotainment and interface display systems. While revolutionary in a technological sense, the impact of telematics on drivers and passengers is even more dramatic. They'll have access to e-mail, the Internet and telephone services; e-commerce features such as shopping and banking; traffic and navigation information; a wealth of information services; and emergency and safety features such as remote diagnostics.

Audio, television/video and computer games are the horizon. Down the road, so to speak, telematics will spawn smart cars that can apply the brakes using a global positioning system (GPS), making cruise control seem primitive.

The report cites research findings that US motorists typically spend nearly 10 percent of their waking hours driving or riding in cars and trucks. "Clearly, many consumers want the same computing flexibility in their vehicles that they already have in the office and at home, and this requires the intelligent devices to be mobile," Heidingsfelder says. "Shopping and working while driving saves time, and the mobile office turns a journey into productive time."

Telematics systems are being developed by manufacturers in the US, Europe and Japan who see the explosive potential of the technology - Ford's RESCU and Wingcast and Daimler Chrysler's Tel Aid. Already America Online, Delphi, Motorola, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Sprint PCS and Yahoo have established partnerships as the telematics arena becomes more crowded.

Reported by Newsbytes.com, http://www.newsbytes.com