Frost & Sullivan Crowns Appello the Automotive Telematics and Infotainment Entrepreneurial Company

The 2006 Frost & Sullivan Automotive Telematics and Infotainment
Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award is presented to Appello for its Wisepilot product. Its introduction into the market has reinforced the emergence of a new product segment – off-board navigation on mobile phones.

Within a year of Wiseplilot’s debut in early 2005, Appello experienced solid revenue generation and good growth in terms of better positioning in the aftermarket. Following aggressive product launches and quick commercialisation, Wisepilot has placed Appello in a position to make significant gains in the European mobile phone-based navigation market.

“With the growth in mobile communication subscriber base reaching flashpoint, Appello’s strategy of developing a mobile phone-based off-board navigation system was a masterstroke, presenting it with the appropriate mode of entry into the European aftermarket,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Shyamsundar Anandhan. “Wisepilot’s cost competitiveness together with the availability of flexible pricing in line with customer requirements and purchasing power added to its advantages.”

Its compatibility with over 40 different mobile phone models, including Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, O2, T-Mobile and Q-Tek, has underlined Wisepilot’s position as a unique product solution. While soaring sales of high-end mobile phones that are capable of delivering navigation solutions has created a potentially buoyant prospective market, Wisepilot’s compatibility with low-end phones has enlarged the scope for market penetration.

The use of Java technology has allowed for a superior server-based navigation experience. Moreover, Wisepilot is the only all-inclusive off-board navigation solution that offers 3D head-up display, which is a vector-based map with rotation capability. Its emphasis on product reliability and security as well as its cost effectiveness when compared to competing navigation solutions has further enhanced Wisepilot’s customer appeal.

“Appello has already added the facility to use popular features such as yellow and white pages search and speed camera alerts along with traffic information, which have effectively been the foundation for navigation,” adds Mr. Anandhan. “With customised location-based services and comprehensive map coverage likely to be part of its product lines in the near future, Appello is poised to become a major participant in mobile phone-based portable navigation.”

“This is a fantastic acknowledgement for Appello coming from our success in the Navigation market. The award from Frost & Sullivan highlights that our overall strategy is unique and best in class considering the areas company structure, technology, flexibility in business model and strategic partnerships.” says Leif Sundström, Appello’s CEO.

Appello’s complementary collaborations with major component suppliers and service providers have been mutually beneficial. Indeed, strategic alliances and promotional strategies involving top-rung partners such as Telcontar, Navteq, Xpeedio, TMTI, Elite and Brightpoint have enabled Appello to utilise the strengths of its more established counterparts and deliver the best products to the widest potential customer base.

“The common factor in all these partnerships is that these companies are well established and are market leaders in their operating domains,” notes Mr. Anandhan. “Being a small organisation, Appello’s calculated collaborations have ensured its smooth entry into the market and has proved a winning strategy towards successful product launches in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.”

The Frost & Sullivan award for the Best Entrepreneurial Company of the Year is given each year to the company that demonstrated superior entrepreneurial ability in its industry. This award signifies the company’s identification of a unique and revolutionary product solution with significant market potential.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.