China's post-installed global positioning system (GPS) navigation software market will grow to more than 1.5 million sets this year from 80,000 in 2006, according to research conducted by CCID Consulting Co., Ltd.

Post-installed GPS navigation software is the software that is installed after purchase in an auto navigation system and has expanded to portable equipment, such as mobile phones.

"Apart from the rocketing sales of automobiles, the surge will also come from the mushrooming market of post-installed GPS navigation terminals, such as mobile phones and lap-tops," said Wei Yuhuai, general manger of the CCID research center of the consumption electronics industry.

"Sales of mobile phones with navigation functions are expected to hit more than 300,000 in China this year, which will bring about the same amount of post-installed GPS navigation software."

Since the third and fourth quarter are traditionally busier, sales would accelerate, he added.

Sales of post-installed GPS navigation softwares reached 233,200 sets in the second quarter, almost double the first quarter and up 1,602.2 percent from the same period last year, said the CCID report.

Based on sales volume, NaviOne, Lingtu, Cityonmap, Cn-map, NavInfo and AutoNavi were the top six sellers in the second quarter.

The report showed that up to 33.3 percent of consumers download pirate copies from the Internet as their first choice to update systems while only 20 percent updated through service centers.

Beijing-based CCID Consulting was the first Chinese consulting firm to list in the Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It is directly affiliated to the China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID Group).

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2007)