What Wards Intelligence does

Wards Intelligence is an automotive market intelligence firm founded in 1924 and now operating as a specialized automotive vertical within Omdia, part of Informa TechTarget (Informa PLC). The company provides subscription-based research, data, forecasting, and consulting services targeting automakers, tier-1/tier-2 suppliers, financial and insurance firms, strategy consultants, government entities, and dealerships. Its core product portfolio includes the Auto Intelligence Spotlight Service (global sales, production, and 18-month forecasts across 50+ countries), the Auto Intelligence Data Query Tool (a customizable real-time report generator with saved queries and historical depth from 1970), the Digital Mobility Intelligence Service (software-defined vehicles and connectivity), the Advanced Automotive Intelligence Service (ADAS, autonomy, cockpit, and AI applications), and adjacent intelligence services for Automotive Displays, Automotive Semiconductors, and EV Technologies.

Underlying technology centers on proprietary longitudinal datasets — U.S. sales back to 1970, North America back to 1985, global coverage from 2005 — delivered via a self-serve query platform and supplemented by analyst-driven research, quarterly Outlook webcasts, and an Ask An Analyst engagement program. Wards Intelligence monetizes primarily through recurring B2B subscriptions, with disclosed retention above 90% on an annual basis, and supports its research with sponsored industry surveys such as the 2025 Software-Defined Vehicle Survey conducted in partnership with Sonatus (559 respondents across NA, Europe, and APAC). The go-to-market is sales-led through the Omdia website and inside-sales contact funnels, with no third-party resellers, leveraging Informa's global marketing and analyst distribution infrastructure.

Name

Wards Intelligence

Legal name

Wards Intelligence

Website

https://wardsintelligence.informa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wards Intelligence is an automotive subscription intelligence firm (founded 1924, now part of Omdia/Informa) providing sales, production, and forecast data plus ADAS, SDV, and EV research to automakers, suppliers, financial firms, consultants, and governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Market Intelligence

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Analytics & Business Intelligence Services (BPAHALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Competitive & Market Intelligence (Competitive Tracking, TAM/SAM/SOM) (MPAAALAL)

Keywords

• Automotive market intelligence
• Auto industry forecasting
• Vehicle production data
• Automotive research services
• Automotive sales analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Southfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription Intelligence Services: Wards Intelligence operates primarily on a subscription model providing ongoing access to automotive industry data, forecasts, and analysis. The company has demonstrated exceptional retention with over 90% of subscribers renewing annually, indicating strong recurring revenue generation through multiple subscription tiers and service packages tailored to different customer segments including automakers, suppliers, financial institutions, consultants, and government entities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wards Intelligence provides subscription-based automotive market intelligence, data, and forecasting services. It delivers global automotive sales and production data spanning over 50 countries, 18-month production forecasts, and specialized research on software-defined vehicles, electrification, autonomy, and digital mobility. Subscribers access insights through dedicated intelligence service subscriptions, a customizable Auto Intelligence Data Query Tool, and quarterly Outlook webcasts with senior analysts.

Product overview

Wards Intelligence (now part of Omdia) provides automotive market intelligence through a suite of specialized services. The portfolio includes Auto Intelligence Spotlight Service for sales and production data, Digital Mobility Intelligence Service for vehicle digitalization insights, Advanced Automotive Intelligence Service for cutting-edge automotive technology research, Auto Intelligence Data Query Tool for customizable data analysis, and vertical-focused services covering Automotive Displays, Automotive Semiconductors, and EV Technologies. Wards Intelligence also produces the Software-Defined Vehicle Survey as an annual research product. These services are offered as separate subscription products, all part of the broader Omdia Automotive coverage area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auto Intelligence Spotlight Service In-depth data and insight service offering global automotive sales and production by market with granular focus on North America. Includes monthly data for largest markets, regional data for over 50 countries, 18-month production forecast, and U.S. specifications datasets. Targeted at automakers, suppliers, and financial institutions.
• Digital Mobility Intelligence Service In-depth perspective on vehicle digitalization covering software-defined vehicle trends, in-vehicle connectivity requirements, and digital economy enabling manufacturers to generate recurrent revenue. Includes manufacturer scorecards, enterprise surveys, and data-driven trackers.
• Advanced Automotive Intelligence Service Covers critical topics for automotive technology forefront including advanced sensors and semiconductors enabling ADAS and autonomous vehicles, intelligent digital cockpit growth, and AI applications. Features surveys, scorecards, and trackers for cutting-edge automotive tech analysis.
• Auto Intelligence Data Query Tool Powerful and customizable report generator pulling from global production, sales, and inventory data available in real time. Historical data begins in 2005 globally, with North America data from 1985 and U.S. sales back to 1970. Queries can be saved for monthly runs as new data is added.
• Automotive Display Intelligence Service Comprehensive analysis of automotive display covering market dynamics, macro environment, design and technology trends, supplier business performance, value chain, business models, and future demand assessment.
• Automotive Semiconductor Intelligence Service Strategic insights into display technologies, supplier performance, and cockpit design trends with quarterly analysis, monthly updates, and expert consultation for automakers, tier-one suppliers, and panel vendors.
• EV Technologies Intelligence Service Assesses opportunities, defines market needs, and sets customer-centric product roadmaps and GTM strategies within the EV technologies ecosystem with in-depth insights and competitive analysis across vehicles, charging infrastructure, batteries, and components.
• Software-Defined Vehicle Survey 2025 Annual industry survey analyzing feedback from over 550 automotive professionals on software-defined vehicle priorities and implementation strategies across regions, produced by Wards Intelligence and sponsored by Sonatus.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% annual subscriber renewal rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SonatusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Wards Intelligence (now part of Omdia) conducted the 2025 Software-Defined Vehicle Survey for Sonatus, an automotive software company. The survey gathered feedback from 559 industry professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific in March 2025. This represents a sponsored research partnership where Wards Intelligence provides survey methodology and industry credibility while Sonatus gains proprietary insights and marketing content. The survey revealed significant industry trends including 83% of respondents considering Android and Linux for safety-critical systems and 67% having OTA updates deployed.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LMC Automotive: LMC Automotive is a specialized provider of global automotive forecasts, powertrain outlooks, and vehicle sales/production intelligence. Its subscription forecasts and regional models directly compete with Wards' Auto Intelligence Spotlight service for OEM and supplier planning use cases.
• J.D. Power: J.D. Power provides automotive market intelligence, forecasting, and consumer research to OEMs, dealers, and financial institutions. It overlaps with Wards in automotive sales/production data, quality studies, and forecasting subscriptions, addressing a similar enterprise customer base.
• S&P Global Mobility: Formerly IHS Markit Automotive, S&P Global Mobility is the largest subscription-based provider of automotive sales, production, and supply chain intelligence globally. It is the most direct competitor to Wards Intelligence, serving automakers, suppliers, and financial clients with overlapping datasets and forecasting products.

Broad incumbents

• Cox Automotive: Cox Automotive (parent of Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader, and Dealertrack) is a broad incumbent in automotive data, valuations, and dealer technology. While its franchise is more dealer/manufacturing-channel focused than Wards', it competes for automotive market intelligence and used-vehicle valuation spend.
• Bloomberg Intelligence (Auto): Bloomberg Intelligence covers autos as part of its broader financial research, serving institutional investors with automotive equity research and market data. It competes for the financial services and consulting segments that Wards also targets with its forecast and intelligence products.

Emerging players

• Statista (Automotive): Statista aggregates automotive statistics, market outlooks, and consumer mobility data via subscription. It is an emerging cross-industry research platform competing with Wards for mid-market and consulting customers who need broader, lighter-weight automotive data points.
• AutoForecast Solutions: AutoForecast Solutions (AFS) specializes in vehicle production forecasts and supply chain visibility, including disruption tracking. It is a more narrowly focused emerging player whose production forecasts overlap with Wards' core data offerings for suppliers and OEMs.
• Mobility Research (Polk/IHS legacy competitors): Mobility-focused consulting and research boutiques provide custom automotive market studies and forecasts for OEMs and suppliers. They overlap with Wards' advanced and digital mobility intelligence themes at the project level rather than full subscription replacements.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wards Intelligence