from TeleNav Press Releases
Santa Clara, CA – Nov. 22, 2006 – TeleNav Inc., the first company to launch a GPS navigation system on mobile devices in the U.S., today announced that TeleNav GPS Navigator is now available on the recently-launched Palm® Treo™ 680 smartphone along with the other Treo smartphones currently available from Palm in the U.S. For just $9.99 per month, TeleNav GPS Navigator offers unlimited turn-by-turn voice and on-screen driving directions, pedestrian mode for use while walking, full-color moving maps, information and directions to more than 10 million business listings including frequently updated fuel prices.
“The availability of TeleNav GPS Navigator for our current U.S. Palm Treo family means our customers can experience the convenience and value of mobile navigation no matter which Treo they prefer or what network they are on,” said Mark Bercow, senior vice president, business development, Palm, Inc. “TeleNav’s proven experience in developing cutting-edge location-based services means we can feel confident that our customers are getting one of the most dynamic, feature-rich and cost-effective solutions available.”
According to a recent survey from industry research firm In-Stat, more than half of all wireless customers surveyed would like navigation capabilities on their mobile devices.
“As market awareness increases and more and more carriers offer LBS-capable devices, the demand for mobile GPS navigation will grow dramatically over the next couple of years,” said David Chamberlain, principal wireless analyst at In-Stat. “The key to providing customers with the applications so many say that want - like TeleNav GPS Navigator - is to increase the number of compatible mobile phones.”
Features of TeleNav GPS Navigator
· Voice and on-screen turn-by-turn directions – As you drive, you will get real-time guidance from an easily understood human voice. Receive automatic re-routing directions if you miss a turn. Users can also preview their routes before they begin driving and specify navigation preferences including highways and streets.
· Biz Finder – Find businesses and services, including ATMs, restaurants, hotels, parking lots, shopping malls and more. Then easily navigate to them with the click of a button. Biz Finder also allows users to quickly look up and call the phone number for a business, saving money on unnecessary 411 directory calls.
· Fuel Finder – Save money by finding the lowest gas prices within a five-mile or wider radius.
· Full color moving maps – See colorful maps of specific GPS locations and pan and zoom the map to view the surrounding streets.
· Easy destination entry – TeleNav GPS Navigator provides four methods for address entry – preplan your trips on www.telenav.com, type in your destinations directly into your phone using the keypad, dictate your destination using TeleNav’s unique voice recognition address input system, or choose a business from the Biz Finder.
· Automatic map updates – Never worry about updating new map information or having to pay for updates – TeleNav provides this to its customers over-the-air and automatically, at no additional charge.
· Spot Marker – Easily find your car wherever you park it, such as in a large parking lot or on an unfamiliar downtown street.
· My Favorites – Save multiple addresses for easy access later.
· 24x7 Customer Service – Get live help from TeleNav’s trained support staff - on any day and at any time.
“Working with the Palm team has been a delight,” said H.P. Jin, president, CEO and co-founder of TeleNav. “It is important to TeleNav that mobile customers find TeleNav GPS Navigator to be an effective and dynamic navigation experience. Because of that, it was critical that we worked closely with Palm to ensure we developed a solution that maximizes Palm’s enhanced platform. We feel we offer a navigation experience that leverages the Treo advantages and capabilities and provides customers with an unmatched service.”
Palm Treo customers interested in activating TeleNav GPS Navigator can do so by visiting www.telenav.com, calling TeleNav at 1 88 TeleNav 4 (1-888-353-6284), or by contacting their wireless carrier. A Bluetooth GPS receiver is required to use TeleNav GPS Navigator on Palm Treo smartphones and can be purchased from www.telenav.com. Ongoing subscription to the service ranges from $5.99 per month for up to 10 trips or $9.99 a month for unlimited trips (prices vary dependent on carriers and a carrier data plan also required). The TeleNav GPS Navigator subscription includes free, automatic and ongoing map and Point of Interest (POI) content updates.
