HAMBURG, September 21 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVIGON's new Live Services demonstrate just how useful dynamic content can be for navigation devices. Real-time news including traffic conditions, free parking spaces or speed cameras, make navigation devices an even more precise and informative driving companion. Further Live Services are also waiting in the wings, including updated information about newly constructed roads, real-time information about road closures, and live POI updates. In the future (in conjunction with NAVTEQ) we will be able to witness continuous updates of map material stored on digital navigators. With FreshMaps Live, NAVIGON ensures that your navigation device's maps are always fully up to date.
As leaders in innovative thinking in the navigation market, NAVIGON is continuously working towards the perfect navigation device. A significant factor in achieving this goal is further development and the increased use of dynamic content such as that used by NAVIGON in its new Live Services. Drivers who have a NAVIGON Live-enabled device[1] are already equipped to access live content in 32 European countries[2]. This feature includes everything from the latest traffic news (Traffic Live) through to highlighting mobile radar speed detectors (Mobile Safety Camera Live), and information about the number of available parking spaces (Clever Parking Live), or the weather forecast en-route (Weather Live), right through to simple and convenient searching for special destinations such as restaurants or businesses (Google Local Search). "As part of the preparation for the IFA exhibition we have put together a service package designed to meet our users' most important wishes," says Jörn Watzke, Vice President of Product Line Management at NAVIGON. "But that was only the first step. In conjunction with our map provider, NAVTEQ, we shall be able to provide updates for whole sections of our map material as a Live Service."
"NAVTEQ is proud to support NAVIGON's continued focus on offering fresh maps to consumers. The most accurate and up-to-date map is critical to delivering the optimal navigation experience and NAVTEQ consistently provides the highest quality maps in the world," says Jeff Mize, Executive Vice President, Global Sales, NAVTEQ. "We are especially delighted to enable the launch of NAVIGON's Fresh Maps Live service. This innovative new offering brings to life our shared vision of putting the very latest map data in the hands of drivers."
Interactive POI updates
The first development of the new Live Services, Live POI Update, is set to be completed in the coming months. "In place of the POI lists that have been previously updated with the maps via NAVIGON Fresh, POIs will now be continuously updated in real time. In the not too distant future, Live users will not only have up-to-the-minute traffic news, details of speed camera location and whether nearby car parks contain free spaces, but they will also be able to access information about the opening times of their chose place of interest. Just as with the Mobile Safety Camera Live Service, where users of the NAVIGON Live Programme can update each other with information about the mobile radar speed detectors using the "report camera" button, soon NAVIGON Live users will be able to update information regarding new motorway services or tourist attractions. Any changes reported via the Live interface will be checked as quickly as possible by the map provider, NAVTEQ, and added to the POI data pool which is continuously updated and transmitted to all Live-enabled devices. "In this way we can always keep the POI lists right up to date and guarantee NAVTEQ quality for each change," says Jörn Watzke.
Always up to date
Also in real time, NAVIGON will soon be able to inform Live users about road closures. "As soon as a new section of road is built, NAVIGON will transmit the information to devices via our Live Service and then it will be included in all navigation," explains Jörn Watzke. "This perfectly supplements the information that is already integrated into the map material on our devices. Our devices already take into account regular events that happen on certain days or at certain times, such as the changing direction of travel in Sierichstrasse in Hamburg or the seasonal closure of mountain passes."
The next step in the expansion of Live Services is to be real-time updates for other parts of the map material. "In the future we think it will be possible to replace whole sections and bring them right up to date," announces Jörn Watzke. "It works just like a tiled floor in which individual tiles are continually replaced." It will even be possible in the future to update, in real time, details such as motorway signs shown in the display of the devices for the Reality View function.
The information for this feature will also come from NAVIGON users. The latest NAVIGON models offer the option of storing deviations from map material, such as a new roundabout, and passing the information on to NAVIGON via NAVIGON Fresh. Once it has been checked by experts at NAVTEQ, the new information is incorporated into the navigation maps. "Since this feature was launched, we have already received several thousand messages from our customers - a valuable contribution to the quality of the maps," says Jörn Watzke.
For further product information, please visit: http://www.navigon.com/iphone. Images and videos can be requested from presse@navigon.com.
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About NAVIGON:
NAVIGON AG is a world-leading manufacturer of navigation systems. With it own portable navigation systems, and thanks to its partnership with reputable consumer electronics manufacturers, NAVIGON stands for high-quality GPS navigation on pocket PCs, PNDs and mobile phones. NAVIGON also provides professional navigation solutions such as driver-assistance features for the automotive OEM market. NAVIGON was founded in 1991, and employs over 400 workers in locations in Asia, Europe and North America. - NAVIGON. And the world is yours.
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[1] Live Services are available as standard in the NAVIGON 6350 Live and NAVIGON 8450 Live; NAVIGON 6310 and NAVIGON 8410 can be upgraded with the NAVIGON Live module for EUR 99. A one-year contract costs EUR 79.95 and a two-year contract EUR 139.95, including unlimited use of data at home and abroad.
[2] Not all services are available in all countries.
Press contacts:
Michael Hoffmann
Head of Corporate Communication
NAVIGON AG
Telefon: +49-40-370-88-421
Fax: +49-40-370-88-479
E-Mail: michael.hoffmann@navigon.com
Web: http://www.navigon.com
Angela Obermaier
PR Manager
NAVIGON AG
Telefon: +49-40-370-88-450
Fax: +49-40-370-88-479
E-Mail: angela.obermaier@navigon.com
Web: http://www.navigon.com
Press contacts: Michael Hoffmann, Head of Corporate Communication, NAVIGON AG, Telefon: +49-40-370-88-421, Fax: +49-40-370-88-479, E-Mail: michael.hoffmann@navigon.com. Angela Obermaier, PR Manager, NAVIGON AG, Telefon: +49-40-370-88-450, Fax: +49-40-370-88-479, E-Mail: angela.obermaier@navigon.com
