Telenav announces Scout for Cars: Built In, brings together phones and in-dash systems in navigation harmony (update)
Telenav has long been a purveyor of navigation apps for phones, browsers, and cars, but today the company's revealed Scout for Cars: Built In to bring those platforms together. It's an in-dash system that provides both the form factor and UX optimized for autos and all the features of the Scout for Phones app. It works using Bluetooth to connect to iOS, Android, or Windows Phone devices to sync your info and let you access the mobile app's current map info. It also borrows your phone's data connection, which gives users access to voice control and search and discovery features, plus real-time weather and traffic updates using the in-dash touchscreen.
Scout for Cars: Built In can also seamlessly hand off navigation duties to the phone when you exit your car -- a convenient feature for folks as directionally challenged on foot as they are behind the wheel. And, if you're worried about getting lost should you forget to bring your phone, fear not, for Scout for Cars: Built In uses your handset to provide a better experience, but it's not dependent upon it, so it still gets you where you need to go on its own. The system is currently available to automakers right now, so the system should be finding its way into dealerships sometime soon.
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Telenav Brings Connectivity and Personalization into Cars With Its New Scout for
Cars: Built In Navigation Product
Personalized navigation and search services connect the phone, computer, and car
Sunnyvale, Calif. - April 16, 2013 - Telenav®, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNAV), the leader in
personalized navigation, announced today the availability of a new embedded product in
its Scout for Cars line up, integrating in-dash navigation with mobile and cloud services
for real-time, personalized information. With Scout for Cars: Built In, automakers now
can offer in-car navigation with always up-to-date content and services while reducing
mapping costs – under their own brand or Scout. For drivers, they can connect their
familiar Scout for Phones service in their car and know it will always have the latest
information.
"In-vehicle navigation has become commonplace in cars, but many lack real-time
services and personalization, and that's a key purchasing decision for consumers,"
said Roger Lanctot, associate director at Strategy Analytics. "Drivers want to access
their own content – music, big data, navigation, etc. – in the car. The merging of the
phone and car allows automakers to offer a product that never needs to be updated."
Connecting the Car and Phone
Most in-vehicle navigation systems are only able to receive broadcasted information
over the radio or satellite, but Scout for Cars: Built In combines technologies from
Telenav's embedded and smartphone products to provide a consistent and personalized
experience whether a driver is using Scout on their phone or in their car. Using
Bluetooth, the in-dash system connects with a fully functional, standalone smartphone
application to give drivers the ability to search, discover, and drive to places using one
product and at a lower cost than most comparable in-car navigation systems.
Consistent and Familiar Across Devices
Search results are easy to access across Scout.me, Scout for Phones, and Scout for
Cars – so that drivers can use their favorite discovery and personalized navigation
service no matter where they are. The new Scout for Cars: Built In product will also sync
information from Scout for Phones into the car, allowing drivers access to the app's
features and services through the in-dash LCD touchscreen. In addition, Telenav is the
only company to offer an embedded product that transfers a route automatically from
the car's head unit to the phone for "last mile navigation," providing walking directions as
needed to the user's final destination.
Access to Information
The new Scout for Cars: Built In product can work with or without connectivity and brings
the most frequently used features to the in-dash home screen – including commute
times, local search, personal favorites, and recent trips. In addition, it addresses drivers'
top in-car navigation demands by making it easier to access addresses and points of
interest (POIs) through voice commands and one-box search, a feature that allows users
to enter the entire address or business in one step.
Other key features include:
•
Personalized Information: Favorites, recent trips, and commute times
automatically sync between the computer, phone, and car
•
Fresh Maps & POIs: Access to up-to-date maps and millions of POIs
•
Local Weather: Real-time weather and forecasts
•
Local Search: Integrated one-box search with automatic suggestions makes it
fast and easy to enter addresses & POIs
•
Real-time Traffic: Drivers save time with live traffic overlays and updates that
automatically reroute them around traffic jams or road congestion
•
Voice Control: Safety is increased as drivers are able to keep their hands on the
wheel with voice-activated commands
•
Flexible Branding: OEMs can offer embedded navigation in their vehicles under
their own brand, look, and feel
•
Companion App: OEMs can use Scout for Phones or their own branded
smartphone app to bring connectivity and services into the car
"Drivers are looking for a reliable, personalized, and connected navigation experience in
their car," Hassan Wahla, vice president and general manager of Telenav's automotive
business unit. "By leveraging Telenav's unique mobile and automotive capabilities, we
are delivering a customized product to OEMs, and a personalized user experience, that
drivers want and expect."
The new Scout for Cars: Built In product is available worldwide and can be rebranded
and designed to match the automaker's in-car experience. Founded in 1999, Telenav
has global experience providing navigation to the auto and mobile industries, with a
presence and partners in Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Telenav is
currently partnered with Delphi (for General Motors vehicles) and Ford to provide in-car
navigation worldwide and works with carriers like AT&T to provide white label-branded
services to their subscribers.
