Feb-March 2003

Does a navigation system need to be built into your vehicle? Not according to Tele Atlas and Wayfinder Systems, who have joined forces to produce what they describe as an "off-board" personal navigation system running on relatively standard Nokia 60 Series mobile phones.

The user has an account with Wayfinder, and logs on to a "personal navigation page" to enter details of the required journey. Within a few seconds, according to the suppliers, Wayfinder's servers calculate the optimum route and download it to the phone. Voice instructions, pictures and Tele Atlas digital maps are delivered "on the fly".

Apart from the phone (model 7650 or 3650 required), in order to use the system in a vehicle you need a Bluetooth link to an external GPS antenna. The system is said to be compatible with GSM, GPRS and G3 mobile phone technology, and to work throughout Europe and North America.

Behind it is a powerful server solution from Wayfinder Systems, which is said to perform ultra-fast and optimal searches based on personal preferences, actual journey time and traffic situation. The server platform also provides an XML-based application programming interface for integration into other location-based systems and business applications.

 

as Telmap unveils off-board Polaris system

Telmap, a mobile mapping applications specialist, has unveiled an off-board navigation application called Polaris for Cellular Phones. It follows the earlier launch of the company's Polaris for PDA, transferring the same concepts to standard mobile phones. It is said to run on any Java-enabled mobiles, including the Nokia 6310I and 7650, Motorola T720, Sony p800 and Siemens sI45i.

Users dial in to request route details, which include turn-by-turn instructions in graphical, textual and voice formats. Maps are provided by Navigation Technologies' Real-Time Map solution.

Working directly from their vehicle, users can search for addresses, perform cross-street searches and receive optimal routing to chosen destinations; or entire routes can be sent remotely from the office over the Internet via "push" technology.

For business users Telmap has a more comprehensive Web-based offering called Vega Location Management Solution, which is aimed at vehicles fleets and mobile workforces. Features include real-time track and trace, vehicle and workforce and fleet information, routing and "geofencing" (with automatic alerts if remote units cross designated barriers).