Company Description: NNG
LLC is one of the leading navigation solution providers for the automotive,
personal and wireless navigation industries. While cooperating with 150
hardware partners worldwide and providing navigation solutions for 115
countries, NNG is particularly focussed on driving its business in India.
Throughout 2011 the company has invested heavily in the development of a
localised edition of its iGO Navigation software. The company reinforced its
rapid growth in India with a new office in Gurgaon in early 2012, managed by
Péter Bolesza, Vice President, EEU & Emerging Markets. The permanent
presence in India proves the company’s commitment to developing and providing
high-end navigation solutions that meet all the requirements of local partners
for easy-to-use and India-specific navigation. Several OEMs have recently
launched their PND and aftermarket solutions in India running on NNG’s iGO
Navigation software.
The car navigation systems space is rapidly
evolving in India and new types of products are hitting the market. Is the
Indian consumer market receptive to such gadgets and the services it offers?
I
would say maybe not today, but in the foreseeable future. I am expecting a big boom in the next 6-8
months and I hope in one year’s time I will tell you that the Indian market is
ready for such products. What we intend to achieve is to make people aware that
these navigation devices or systems can ease their lives, and once they realise
that, it will be an immediate success.
What kind of strategies have you decided for the
Indian market?
We
are going to follow the same path as we are doing in other countries. We are
going to work closely with automotive Tier1 suppliers. In India, we have
already signed a few agreements, including some local brands like Mega Audio or
ANS (Ayana Navigation Solutions). We already have a contract with global brands
and are also working on other negotiations too. Basically what we are doing is
providing software solutions to our clients, thus enabling our partners to
create their own navigation experience. In India, we are going to develop an
application which completely suits local needs. Going forward, we are also
planning to ally with car manufacturers through our partners.
Do you have any plans to establish an IT solutions
centre in a city like Bangalore?
What
I know for sure is that the top management of the company is investigating
possibilities to have an outsourcing hub to develop its software solutions for
the global markets. They are reviewing several cities, including Bangalore. But
this application is extremely complex and could be very hard to do it. We have
to slice up the solution into modules, which can make it a very long process.
What are the unique selling points of the iGO
Navigation products? Do you provide software solutions or both hardware and
software?
We
develop only software solutions. Our partners are the ones who are combining
our solutions and their hardware together.
One of the biggest USPs of our offering is that we are the only company
which is able to cover the whole globe. We have a contract with more than 40
content providers including big market players like the Navteq or Tom Tom.
I feel that iGO Navigation marketing initiatives
are on a low scale. Do you feel people are very much aware of your products as
a result of your marketing initiatives?
Before
implementing any local marketing campaigns, we wanted to make sure that the
product we are launching is fitted for the Indian market,therefore we have
developed a special India Edition of our flagship application (iGO primo).In
line with this, in the next couple of months we are going to implement some
marketing campaigns with our partners
What is the size of the GPS system in India and
what is your company’s market share here?
I
heard different figures from different people. The size of the GPS system in
India is somewhere between 80,000-130,000 units per annum. I believe NNG is
going to close the year with around 25pc marketshare.
Can we expect your products in the motorbike
segment too?
NNG
has a motorbike product in Europe and we are checking whether we can bring it
to India or not, as we are already negotiating with a bike manufacturer in
India. Having said that, our approach for the product for the Indian market is
completely different from the German product. We are looking at coming to the
Indian market with a bike navigation product that is developed for this market
specifically.
How tough is competition in the GPS gadgets space?
The
competition is always tough and always welcome. It allows us to compare our
product with our peers’ and to gauge our strengths and weaknesses. It helps us
roll out a competitive product.
Can we expect new products from NNG in the coming
months and is the team working on any new product based on a revolutionary
technology?
Yes,
the products that NNG has introduced this summer will be completely different
from our competitors’. It will be incorporating unique features including
‘Quick Address Search’ and ‘Natural Guidance’ which will be unique for the
market. The latter is available in 3 or 4 overseas nations and we believe that
the benefits of this feature would be welcome in this market too.
Lastly, how important is the
Indian market for you? And what is your vision for NNG India?
Personally,
I have a huge vision from Eastern Europe to India as I am focusing on all these
regions now. Geographically, India is a huge market and it is my team’s first
priority, which is the reason why I have shifted my base here to Gurgaon along
with my family. We are opening a bigger office here, I am already in the hiring
process to recruit engineers to support our Indian technology department. We
are in talks with our partners to develop products for the Indian market, and
will also be focusing on after sales and service support. We can also offer our
maps on rent to our customers. Overall, our aim is to provide the best navigation experience to our
Indian customers and global solutions to those who travel abroad.To achieve
this, we are coming with unique offerings and features including our Mobile
Phone navigation solutions and portable devices.