Via Engadget/BusinessWire:
NAVIGON Announces Traffic Live Feature for iPhone Navigation App
New traffic feature for NAVIGON MobileNavigator uses traffic information to route around congestion, service has the highest accuracy available today using data from several sources including real-time speed information from actual drivers on the road, traffic messages, road sensors and cameras as well as historic traffic flow data
HAMBURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NAVIGON AG, the leading innovator in the navigation market, today announced live traffic capabilities for its iPhone navigation app. The feature, Traffic Live, will be available in October for the North American version of the MobileNavigator for the iPhone. It utilizes real-time traffic information as well as historic data to calculate better routes that avoid congestion and get drivers to their destination faster.
“By including real-time speed data from drivers on the road, we are adding a next generation traffic service to our app that goes beyond traditional traffic functions which work with radio transmitted messages only. This is clearly raising the bar for iPhone GPS applications,” said Gerhard Mayr, Vice-President Worldwide Mobile Phones & New Markets at NAVIGON. “Providing the driver instantaneous traffic conditions, and offering efficient, alternative routes to the congestion, saves time, fuel and money. The ability to know and navigate around gridlock is a crucial function and we are thrilled to be the first major GPS company to announce this critical, and sought after service for an iPhone navigation app at a flat fee.”
NAVIGON’s new Traffic Live provides the most precise traffic information available today. It uses real-time speed data from over one million drivers across North America including commercial fleets such as trucks and taxis but also regular drivers with a GPS system. So if for example several vehicles on a road report slow speed, the system recognizes congestion and provides an alternate and faster route. The feature also uses an intelligent fusion of information from traffic cameras, speed sensors and conventional traffic messages coming through a radio network. In addition, the system includes historic traffic data to assist with the prediction of road conditions when calculating a route. This includes information about traffic conditions on certain holidays or yearly events, allowing the driver to avoid taking routes that traditionally are congested on a regular basis.
Feature integration into the MobileNavigator is seamless and the functionality is easy to use. The software automatically includes the traffic information when calculating a route, and users receive immediate on-screen alerts via iconic warnings indicating new incidents and congestion along the current route. The NAVIGON MobileNavigator provides detailed information regarding the severity of the incident and the speed of traffic flow. Based on the real-time traffic warnings and the excellent mapping functionality the user can determine an efficient, alternative route or stay on the course. The software automatically adjusts estimated time of arrival.
NAVIGON Traffic Live will be available as an In App Purchase for $24.99. Users can add the service directly within the MobileNavigator app. For the first four weeks, it will be available for an introductory price of $19.99. After the one-time purchase, users have the service available with no month-to-month service fees1.
The MobileNavigator transforms any iPhone 3G, equipped with at least Apple OS 3.0 operating system, or iPhone 3G S into a complete navigation device. It is the leading iPhone navigation app in its class with unique features such as Reality View™ Pro which displays 3D views of complex highway interchanges and exits helping drivers to orientate on the go. MobileNavigator is the only flat fee navigation app to include spoken street names (text-to-speech), seamless access to all iPod functions while navigating as well as the display of route specific branded POI’s which allow easy identification of any points of interest along the way.
The NAVIGON MobileNavigator for the iPhone is available for $89.99 in the Apple App Store and is equipped with maps of North America from NAVTEQ®. There are no subscription fees attached and no map downloads during navigation.
For more information and FAQs, please visit: www.navigon.com/iphone.
Find NAVIGON on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/NAVIGON.
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/NAVIGONcom
Facebook: http://facebook.twi.bz/Ob
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/navigon/
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All I can say is, WOW. TomTom who?
And just for posterity's sake, a $24.99 one-time fee (or $19.99 if purchased within the first month!) to use the live traffic service (presumably for a year, details not revealed yet) is much cheaper than, say, a year of Microsoft's live traffic service (which costs I believe 50-60$ for a year, and are only supported by certain, more expensive GPS hardware models, at least when it comes to my own Garmin unit). Navigon owners rejoice! (at least those in Europe/US. Canada is not yet confirmed).
