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Live Traffic Coming October for Navigon on iPhone
Article by: maft
Date: 17 Sep 2009
 Navigon have announced that their 'Traffic Live' service will be available from the second half of October across Europe and for North America. Using a mixture of sources in a 'live data pool', the traffic information is said to be more accurate than TMC as it uses data from standard traffic sources, Navigon Live users and fleet car partners. Users will be given information on the nature of the hold up, whether traffic is still moving or has come to a complete standstill and also given the option of whether to stay on the same route or recalculate a less congested route.
Read on for pricing information and the full European press release.
The add-on will be available directly through the MobileNavigator app at a special introductory price of €19.99 (~£17.85) for European 'Traffic Live' or $19.99 for North American 'Traffic Live'. After the initial four-week offer the price will increase to €24.99 (~£22.30) and $24.99 respectively. Remember though, if you are roaming then you will also be liable to pay for roaming data charges! Also, it's not clear from the press release whether the European Traffic Live covers the whole of Europe or if it is per country/region or whether it will be cheaper if you only have a regional verison of MobileNavigator.
Full European Press Release:
Real-time Traffic Congestion Reports: NAVIGON Offers New Traffic Live Service for the iPhone
Just recently at the IFA exhibition, NAVIGON presented the new Live Services for its high end and premium navigation systems, making it possible among others to call up real-time information on traffic conditions. In future, iPhone owners who have equipped their smartphone with MobileNavigator software from NAVIGON will also be able to reach their destination faster using the latest traffic information on their iPhone thanks to a world first - “NAVIGON Traffic Live”.
Hamburg, 17 September 2009 - No doubt about it: using an iPhone is quite an experience - and that includes navigating with MobileNavigator (MN) from NAVIGON. Numerous triumphs in tests confirm it: MobileNavigator's extensive range of software features and seamless integration with smartphone controls make the iPhone a really special kind of navigation solution. Now NAVIGON is expanding the range of features to include a world first which considerably increases the benefits of the iPhone for navigation: NAVIGON Traffic Live. "NAVIGON Traffic Live opens a new chapter in intelligent and networked navigation: we are the first company in the navigation market to provide iPhone users with real-time information about traffic incidents," says Gerhard Mayr, vice-president of Worldwide Mobile Phones & New Markets at NAVIGON. The device continually takes traffic reports into account for navigation, both when planning a route and during the journey. "In this way, not only does the driver receive an up-to-the-minute route recommendation, but, because traffic reports are updated at intervals of just a few minutes, the driver can also respond to queues en route much faster than with conventional, radio-transmitted traffic information and select a different route in good time." The Traffic Live service is available in 14 European countries (1) as well as North America.
NAVIGON Traffic Live: faster and more exact than TMC (Traffic Message Channel)
The service is based on a data pool which, in addition to real-time information from traffic loops, for example, also incorporates data from NAVIGON Live users and from fleet car partners (Floating Car Data). "If figures indicate that the average speed of a given number of vehicles on a motorway, say, has fallen to the level of urban traffic, it can be assumed that there is an increased volume of traffic, and when the speed falls below a defined limit you can expect congestion. This intelligence is in the background of our Traffic Live technology, invisible to the user," explains Gerhard Mayr.
NAVIGON Traffic Live users are informed immediately in such cases and are able to navigate according to the traffic situation. In the event of a traffic jam the MobileNavigator software displays a warning; in addition, Traffic Live supplies detailed information about the nature of the congestion and indicates whether or not the traffic has come to a standstill. On the basis of this information the driver can calculate a congestion-free route or else, if the obstacle is temporary or the queue is short, opt to stay on the selected route. If required, all this will also function fully automatically. "Traffic Live provides a clear overview in real time, but lets the driver decide. If the driver chooses an alternative route, the device displays the updated time of arrival and distance," says Gerhard Mayr.
NAVIGON Traffic Live can be bought straight from MobileNavigator software and as an introductory offer in the first four weeks after launching (2) costs EUR 19.99; after that the feature will be available at the standard price of EUR 24.99. Traffic Live data are transmitted via the mobile phone connection. If a data flat rate is used, no further costs are incurred and, moreover, the data volume is minimal. "Traffic Live offers iPhone owners tremendous added value and an economical opportunity to turn their smartphone into an even more advanced navigator," says Gerhard Mayr. Since the market launch of MobileNavigator for the iPhone in June this year, NAVIGON has continually extended the software's comprehensive features: route planning function, radar information, street name announcement (Text-to-Speech), location sharing, seamless integration of iPod functions and automatic switching between day and night mode have to date been available as updates free of charge.
The NAVIGON MobileNavigator for the iPhone costs EUR 99.99 in the App Store, including maps for 40 European countries. Regional versions are still available at the summer discount price of EUR 49.99 until 30 September, and thereafter once again at EUR 69.99 (3).
1 Traffic Live is available in the following countries: A, B, CH, D, DK, E, F, FIN, I, L, N, NL, S and UK.
2 Scheduled to be available in the second half of October.
3 Regional versions are available for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Benelux, UK, France, Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, the Nordic countries, Eastern Europe and Russia.
For further product information, please visit: www.navigon.com/iphone.
You can also find us at:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/NAVIGON_
flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/navigon/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/NAVIGONcom
facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/NAVIGON/51924150929
| Comments
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 Posted by mikealder on Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:53 am |
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Any idea who they are getting the data from is it Traffic Master or iTIS for the UK? - The wording floating pool data sounds like iTIS but the release doesn't name the supplier - Mike
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| Posted by MaFt on Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:43 am |
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sorry mike, i've no idea! it was based solely on the PR
MaFt
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| Posted by MaFt on Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:20 pm |
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Just to confirm: Live Trafic Europe covers all 14 EU countries where it is available.
MaFt
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| Posted by gatorguy6996 on Thu Sep 17, 2009 8:48 pm |
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In the US it's reportedly coming from Inrix.
Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr. |
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| Posted by MaFt on Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:27 pm |
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well, we asked navigon directly and were told that 'more information will be coming soon'
so i guess it WILL be announced at some point, just not yet!
MaFt
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| Posted by Kar98 on Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:16 pm |
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I thought Navigon decided to exit the North American market?
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| Posted by Darren on Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:25 pm |
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| Kar98 Wrote: | | I thought Navigon decided to exit the North American market? |
They announced an exit from the NA PND Market.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by ljhamilton on Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:10 am |
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I see that they have released version 1.3.0 for the UK which allows you to download the postcodes and live traffic, however i cant see the new update on itunes for the european version, any news on when that will be released?
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| Posted by Darren on Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:13 am |
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I think its just awaiting Apple to list it. But I think Traffic at least is an extra cost option available via an in-app purchase.
Darren Griffin |
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