By Gilles Guillaume

PARIS (Reuters) – Mercedes-Benz will embed Faurecia-Aptoide to power navigation in a major win against Alphabet Inc’s Google, and other tech firms that control car dashboards.

On Thursday, the companies announced that a multiyear partnership between Faurecia, an auto supplier, and Aptoide, an independent app store, will see the integration of the German premium carmaker’s MBUX multimedia platform, which offers nearly 250 apps, including navigation, traffic and streaming, payment solutions, parking information, and more.

Google (NASDAQ:), and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ) are trying to capture a larger share of the vehicle infotainment industry’s growing market. Thomas Belin from Faurecia Aptoide, Faurecia’s deputy general manger, said to Reuters that the Mercedes contract has helped his company improve its position.

“Today, we see with such agreements that we possess this critical mass (…)” he stated.

French Android app specialist Aptoide and French supplier Faurecia have already signed agreements with Volkswagen and BMW for the provision of its Android Automotive ecosystem to their vehicles.

Faurecia Aptoide has also been in discussions with a French premium car manufacturer over the possibility of using its app store Europe. This will allow carmakers to create a custom-made product that they can then brand their own.

Belin stated that the app store will allow each manufacturer to choose an ecosystem, control their personal data and really take advantage of it.

Belin stated that Faurecia Apotide could offer Volkswagen customers a “myvolkswagen account” instead of a Google one.

Faurecia forms part of Forvia, an European parts producer for cars that it acquired from Hella.

Faurecia announced in January that its Aptoide platform was used by 3 million vehicles around the world, not counting its new BMW or Mercedes contracts.